How To Change Date To Day Of Week In Excel

Convert Date to Day of Week in Excel

Using TEXT Function

To change a date to the day of the week, use the TEXT function. This function requires two arguments: the date and the format to return. To get the full name of the day, the format is "dddd". For the abbreviated name, use "ddd". Example: =TEXT(A2, "dddd") returns "Monday" for the date in cell A2.

Using WEEKDAY Function

The WEEKDAY function converts a date into a numerical day of the week. By default, it numbers days from 1 (Sunday) to 7 (Saturday). Specifying 2 as the second argument adjusts this range to 1 (Monday) to 7 (Sunday), and specifying 3 results in 0 (Monday) to 6 (Sunday). Example: =WEEKDAY(A2) might return 3 for a Wednesday.

Using Custom Formatting

Apply custom formatting to convert and display a date as a day of the week directly in a cell. Select the cells with dates, access the number format dropdown under the Home tab, select More Number Formats, and choose Custom. Type "dddd" to display full weekday names or "ddd" for abbreviated names. This method does not alter cell values, only how they are displayed.

Combining Functions

Combine WEEKDAY with CHOOSE to return the day of the week in a text format. This approach allows flexibility in how the days are displayed, including custom abbreviations or formats.

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