Sometimes we use Excel to perform dynamic activities that require the use of random values. For this, it is essential to know how to generate a list of random words in Excel by using functions and in this tutorial we will show you all the steps you must follow.
Index( )
- What functions do we need to create random word lists in Excel?
- The RANDOM.BETWEEN function
- The CHOOSE function
- Steps I need to follow to create a list of random words
- How to generate random letters thanks to the ASCII code?
What functions do we need to create random word lists in Excel?
Excel has several functions to handle numeric values and character strings. The functions we need to create random word lists in Excel are RANDOM.BETWEEN and CHOOSE. The arguments to the CHOOSE function include the use of RANDOM.BETWEEN as well as cells that contain a series of letters or numbers.
In addition, you can use a function called CHARACTER that will be very useful when obtaining a random letter taking into account the ASCII code. The syntax of this function only includes an element of type integer that refers to a character according to the universal Unicode standard.
The RANDOM.BETWEEN function
The RANDOM.BETWEEN function is included in Excel’s group of mathematical and trigonometric functions and is used to obtain a random number equal to or greater than a lower bound and equal to or less than an upper bound. These bounds are the function arguments that can be extracted as numbers and cell data using references.
In order to get a random number with the RANDOM.BETWEEN function, you will need to click on the formula bar or ‘fx’ above the spreadsheet. Select the category ‘Mathematics and trigonometrics’, click on RANDOM.BETWEEN and press ‘OK’. Enter or choose the lower and upper limit and press ‘OK’.
The CHOOSE function
On the other hand, the CHOOSE function is in charge of receiving a range of values in Excel to select a single value after specifying the position of the element that is needed. The Office application allows you to define an index number between 1 and 254 to add to the list or range as an argument to the function.
Suppose you are going to make an excel table with values from 1 to 6 (A2:A6) with cells containing a grade (F, E, D, C, B, A) from B2 to B6. Another table lists three students with their grade. To obtain the equivalence in letters , write the formula = SELECT (E2, $B$2, $B$3, $B$4, $B$5, $B$6) where E2 is the position to search for.
Steps I need to follow to create a list of random words
It is possible to create a list of random words. To achieve this, type several letters in an Excel table, place the cursor in the cell where you want to create the list and press the ‘fx’ icon to access the formula assistant. In the new window, select the ‘Recommended’ category, click CHOOSE and press the ‘OK’ button.
Indicates the arguments of the function . In ‘Index_Num’ write RANDOM.BETWEEN (1, 5) reflecting the lower and upper bound of this formula. Then type B2 for value 1, B2 for value 2, B3 for value 3 through B5 in order to reference the cells that contain the letters. Then press the ‘OK’ button to run the function.
How to generate random letters thanks to the ASCII code?
ASCII code is a standard used to represent items (numbers, letters, symbols, and punctuation marks) on a computer by using a specific encoding that is typed, translated, and displayed on the screen. From your computer, you will need to press ‘Alt’ and the number that corresponds to the ASCII code for a particular item.
It is possible to generate random letters thanks to the ASCII code. To achieve this, you need to use a function called CHARACTER through which you can obtain the code of a number , a letter, a sign or an equivalent symbol. So the argument to this function will be a numeric value ranging from 1 to 255.
Place the cursor where you want to generate the random letter and press ‘fx’ to insert a function through the formula bar of Microsoft Excel. Choose the ‘Text’ category, click CHARACTER and press the ‘OK’ button. Write the number corresponding to the ASCII code that you can see from the website ‘the ASCII code’ and click ‘OK’.
