Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Calculating Combinations.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 30, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Have you ever wondered how many different four-character combinations you can make when you start with 26 letters and 10 digits? Excel can tell you in a flash, if you use the COMBIN worksheet function. The syntax of the function is as follows:
=COMBIN(universe, sets)
In this syntax, universe represents the number of items from which the combinations can be made, and sets represents the number that must be in each combination. Thus, you could use the following to determine the number of four-character combinations that you can make from the alphabet (26 letters) and the ten digits:
=COMBIN(26+10,4)
Just for those who are curious, the answer returned is 58,905.
In understanding whether the COMBIN function is best for your purposes, it is important to understand that the function returns a value that doesn't consider the ordering of the combinations. Thus, it considers "abcd", "bcda", "cdab", and "dabc" to all be a single combination. If you want them to be considered differently, then you should rely on the PERMUT function, which uses the same syntax as the COMBIN function. Using it with the same arguments discussed earlier indicates that there are 1,413,720 four-character combinations (permutations) possible from 36 possible characters where each character can be used only once.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12202) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Calculating Combinations.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
The PROPER worksheet function is used to change the case of text so that only the first letter of each word is uppercase. ...
Discover MoreOne of the financial worksheet functions provided in Excel is the XIRR function. This is used to figure out an internal ...
Discover MoreThe MODE function is used to determine the most frequently recurring value in a range. This tip explains how to use the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments