Use the Fraction format to display or type numbers as actual fractions, rather than decimals. You can perform calculations on these cells. However, if you're not calculating on the fractions, use text as an alternate display option. This will prevent autoformatting, but then you can't use them in calculations.
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Select the cells that you want to format.
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On the Home tab, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Number.
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In the Category list, click Fraction.
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In the Type list, click the fraction format type that you want to use.
|
Fraction format |
This format displays 123.456 as |
|---|---|
|
Single-digit fraction |
123 1/2, rounding to the nearest single-digit fraction value |
|
Double-digit fraction |
123 26/57, rounding to the nearest double-digit fraction value |
|
Triple-digit fraction |
123 57/125, rounding to the nearest triple-digit fraction value |
|
Fraction as halves |
123 1/2 |
|
Fraction as quarters |
123 2/4 |
|
Fraction as eighths |
123 4/8 |
|
Fraction as sixteenths |
123 7/16 |
|
Fraction as tenths |
123 5/10 |
|
Fraction as hundredths |
123 46/100 |
The number in the active cell of the selection on the worksheet appears in the Sample box so that you can preview the number formatting options that you select.
Note:Â Be sure you've chosen the correct fraction type. If the exact fraction cannot be displayed, it will be rounded to the nearest result. Fractions will automatically be converted to the lowest denominator. To avoid this, in the Custom number section, enter # ?/16Â (or whatever you want your denominator to be) in the Type box. This creates a fraction where the denominator is always fixed at 16.
Tips for displaying fractions
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After you apply a fraction format to a cell, decimal numbers as well as actual fractions that you type in that cell will be displayed as a fraction. For example, typing .5 or 1/2 results in 1/2 when the cell has been formatted with a fraction type of Up to one digit.
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If no fraction format is applied to a cell, and you type a fraction such as 1/2, it will be formatted as a date. To display it as a fraction, apply a Fraction format, and then retype the fraction.
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If you don't need to perform calculations on fractions, you can format a cell as text before you type a fraction into it by selecting Text as the format in the Category list. This way, the fractions that you type will not be reduced or converted to decimals. However, you cannot perform mathematical calculations on fractions that are displayed as text.
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To reset the number format, click General in the Category box (Format Cells dialog box) or in the Number Format box (Home tab, Number group). Cells that are formatted with the General format do not have a specific number format.
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If you enter a fraction and Excel thinks you want a date, enter a zero and a space before the fraction (e.g., 0 9/12). The zero will disappear after pressing Enter, and the cell will display the fraction.
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To insert special fraction characters like ½, ¼, ¾, select the cell and format as Text, then use Insert > Symbol (choose Latin-1 Supplement set).Â
