CONVERT Function

Excel Functions › Engineering

All versions Engineering

The Excel CONVERT function converts a number from one measurement unit to another — distance, weight, temperature, time, energy, pressure, and dozens more.


Quick answer:
=CONVERT(1, "mi", "km") // ~1.609

Syntax

=CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit)
ArgumentDescription
numberRequiredThe value to convert.
from_unitRequiredThe source unit code, e.g. "mi", "kg", "C", "hr".
to_unitRequiredThe target unit code, e.g. "km", "lbm", "F", "sec".

How to use it

CONVERT converts a number from one measurement unit to another — distance, weight, temperature, time, energy, pressure, and dozens more. It uses short unit codes — "mi" miles, "km" kilometers, "kg" kilograms, "lbm" pounds, "C"/"F"/"K" temperatures, "hr"/"mn"/"sec" time, and many more. Units must be from compatible categories (you can’t convert mass to distance).

=CONVERT(1, "mi", "km") // 1 mile = ~1.609 km
=CONVERT(100, "C", "F") // 100°C = 212°F

Metric prefixes work too: add k, c, m, etc. to a base unit (“km”, “cm”). CONVERT returns #N/A for unknown units and #N/A for incompatible categories — check Microsoft’s unit-code table for the exact strings.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Adjust the inputs and watch the formula and result.

Result:

Practice workbook

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Frequently asked questions

What does CONVERT return?
Converts a number from one measurement unit to another — distance, weight, temperature, time, energy, pressure, and dozens more.
Which Excel versions support it?
All modern versions.
How do I find the right unit codes?
Microsoft publishes a unit-code table; codes are case-sensitive and grouped by category (weight, distance, time, temperature, etc.).
Why #N/A from CONVERT?
Unknown unit code or incompatible categories (e.g. mass to length). Check spelling and that both units share a category.

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