How to Display a Date as Fully Spelled-Out Text in Excel
Question details
The user needs to convert a standard numerical date format into fully written-out English text, including the month, day, and year.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Formatting dates for formal documents, legal contracts, or certificates where numerical values must be written entirely as words.
- Observed behavior
- Standard Excel date formats only support spelling out the month (using MMMM) but leave the day and year as digits, failing to fully spell out the entire date natively.
Since standard Excel formulas cannot natively spell out years and days in English, ensure your workbook is saved as a Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm) if you plan to use custom VBA scripts for this task.
Use a Custom VBA Function to Spell Out Dates
Because native formulas cannot convert years and days into English words, creating a custom VBA function is the most robust and reliable method for full text conversion.
By utilizing Excel's Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can create a custom User Defined Function (UDF) that reads a date and translates the numerical day and year into English words.
Press Alt + F11 on your keyboard to launch the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications editor.
In the top menu, click 'Insert' and select 'Module' to create a blank workspace for your code.
Paste a standard 'SpellNumber' or 'SpellDate' VBA script into the module window. You can find pre-written scripts for spelling out dates on Microsoft's official support forums or developer hubs.
Close the VBA editor. In your worksheet, select a blank cell and type =SpellDate(A1) (replacing SpellDate with the name of your specific VBA function) to display the fully written date.
Use the TEXT Function for Partial Spelling
If you only need the month spelled out and are comfortable leaving the day and year as digits, the standard TEXT function is the quickest built-in solution.
Easily Format Dates and Use Advanced Formulas in WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides powerful data formatting tools, seamless formula integration, and full compatibility with Microsoft Excel files. You can effortlessly manage dates, text, and custom formats using its intuitive interface.
- 1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your spreadsheet document.
- 2. Select the Target Cell: Click on the cell where you want your converted date text to be displayed.
- 3. Input the Formula: Type =TEXT(A1, "mmmm dd, yyyy") into the formula bar to extract the full month name and format the numbers.
- 4. Confirm and Apply: Press Enter to instantly convert your numerical date into a clean, readable text format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fully spell out the day and year without using VBA?
Native Excel does not have a built-in English function to convert years like 2025 into 'Two Thousand Twenty-Five'. Achieving this without VBA requires exceptionally long, nested SUBSTITUTE formulas or reliance on third-party add-ins.
Why do some workarounds use the BAHTTEXT function?
BAHTTEXT is a built-in Excel function specifically designed to convert numbers into Thai text. Some users combine it with external translation functions (like Google Translate) as a hack to generate English words, but this method is highly unreliable and often unsupported in offline desktop environments.
How do I display just the day of the week as text?
You can display the day of the week by using the TEXT function. Entering =TEXT(A1, "dddd") will convert a standard date into the full weekday name, such as 'Monday' or 'Tuesday'.
Will custom VBA date functions work in WPS Office?
Yes, WPS Office supports VBA macros in its advanced and premium versions. As long as macro support is enabled in your installation, custom User Defined Functions written in VBA will work perfectly.
