How to Concatenate Double Quotes with Text in Google Sheets

When you want to join double quotes in formulas with text in Google Sheets, it’s important to understand how Google Sheets treats the combination. By default, Google Sheets uses the text and ignores the double quotes. However, if there are no double quotes, the text would be treated as a Named Range. This can become a problem when you specifically want to join double quotes to a text and have Google Sheets treat it as text only.

So, how do you add double quotation marks to plain text using a formula in Google Sheets? Let’s explore the steps below to learn how to join double quotes with text.

Steps to Join Double Quotes with Text in Google Sheets

1. In a blank Google Sheets, enter the text “Hello” in cell A1.

2. In cell B2, use the formula =char(34)&A1&char(34).

   This formula will add double quotation marks as a prefix and suffix to the text “Hello”. The character for a double quotation mark is associated with the number 34, and we use the CHAR function to retrieve that text.

Alternatively, instead of using the ampersand (&) to concatenate, you can use the CONCATENATE function:

=concatenate(char(34),A1,char(34))

And just like that, you can join double quotes with text in Google Sheets!

Sometimes, you might have a need to concatenate double quotes with multiple texts. In that case, you can follow the approach below:

Concatenate Double Quotes with Multiple Texts Using Formula

1. Suppose you have the month names from January to December in the range A1:A12.
2. Use the formula =ArrayFormula(join(",",char(34)&A1:A12&char(34))) to join these month names, placing surrounding double quotation marks and separating them by commas.

This method allows you to quickly concatenate double quotation marks with multiple texts.

To further showcase the practical use of joining double quotes with text in Google Sheets, let’s consider an example:

Join Double Quotes with Text in Google Sheets – Practical Use

1. Assume you have the same month names in column A, but this time they are not in chronological order.

2. In cell B1, use the formula =ArrayFormula(join(";",char(34)&A1:A12&char(34))) to join the month names, placing surrounding double quotation marks and separating them by semicolons.

3. Right-click on cell B1, select “Copy”, and then “Paste special” > “Paste values only”.

4. Select the range A1:A12 and click on “Data” > “Randomize range” to randomize the month names.

5. Now, in cell F5, use the following custom SORT formula:

   =sort(A1:A12,match(A1:A12,{"January";"February";"March";"April";"May";"June";"July";"August";"September";"October";"November";"December"},0),TRUE)

   This formula will sort the month names back to their original chronological order, even though they were initially randomized.

By understanding how to join double quotes with text in Google Sheets, you can unlock new possibilities and leverage this feature in various other formulas.

For more tips and tricks, visit Crawlan.com, where you can find additional resources to enhance your Google Sheets skills.