Excel MONTH Function
MONTH returns the month number from an Excel date.
Use it to group transactions by month, build reporting labels, sort date-based records, or test whether a date falls in a target month.
MONTH syntax & arguments
Syntax
=MONTH(serial_number)
-
1
serial_number
RequiredThe Excel date value, cell reference, or formula result whose month number should be returned.
Example
=MONTH(A2)
Return the month number from the date in A2.
MONTH caveats
-
The source should be a real date
MONTH works most reliably with an Excel date serial number, a date cell, or a date created with DATE.
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The result is a month number
MONTH returns
1through12, not a month name like January or Jan. -
Formatting does not change the result
A date displayed as
Mar-2026still returns3because MONTH reads the underlying date value. -
Text dates can be ambiguous
Typed text such as
"03/04/2026"may be interpreted differently across regional settings, so build dates with DATE when consistency matters.
Building period labels? Combine MONTH with YEAR, or use TEXT when you need a display label such as "mmm yyyy".
Intro MONTH practice problem
Solve the intro problem directly here, or open it on its own page.
Advanced MONTH practice problems
Use MONTH alongside other Excel functions in realistic, less-prescriptive challenges.
