How to Add Extra Characters at the Start or End of a String in Excel

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 15/4/2026

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Using the CONCATENATE Function

Utilize the symbol &

Recently, Software Tips has been flooded with inquiries about inserting additional characters at the start or end of a string in Excel. So today, Software Tips introduces readers to the method of inserting extra characters into a string in this article. We invite you to follow along.

Using the CONCATENATE Function

The CONCATENATE function is used to concatenate characters in Excel. Place the keywords you want to concatenate in order within the function using the syntax: = CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...)

Imagine you have the following data table and you want to insert character A at the beginning and Z at the end of the string. The formula would look like this:

Notice the result on the words: 'Algorithm' and 'Section' are stuck together due to lack of spacing. Therefore, you should add spacing into the formula like this:

Alternatively, you can use the TEXT CONCATENATE function as follows which gives similar results:

Utilize the symbol &

Similarly to CONCATENATE function, you can use the symbol & as shown in the example below:

Or the argument is a text character:

Here Software Tips directs you on how to insert additional characters at the beginning or end of a string in Excel. Wish you all the best!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CONCATENATE function used for in Excel?

The CONCATENATE function in Excel is used to join multiple strings or characters into one single string. You can use it by entering =CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...) where text1 and text2 are the strings you want to combine.

How can I insert characters at the beginning and end of a string in Excel?

To insert characters at the beginning and end of a string, use the CONCATENATE function. For example, to add 'A' at the start and 'Z' at the end, the formula would be =CONCATENATE('A', original_string, 'Z').

Is there an alternative method to concatenate strings in Excel?

Yes, you can also use the ampersand symbol (&) to concatenate strings. For instance, writing 'A' & original_string & 'Z' will yield the same result as using the CONCATENATE function.

What happens if there is no space when concatenating in Excel?

If there is no space when concatenating strings in Excel, the result will be a continuous string without gaps. For example, concatenating 'Algorithm' and 'Section' without spaces will combine them into 'AlgorithmSection'.

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