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: Getting Audible Feedback.

Getting Audible Feedback

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 23, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

2

One of the things that Microsoft has helpfully added to Excel is the ability to configure the program so it makes noises. Granted, every version of Excel makes an obnoxious ding whenever you press the wrong key or try to do something it doesn't like, but now you can expand the auditory experience to an even wider array of obnoxious noises. To set up Excel to use audible feedback, follow these steps:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. If you are using Excel 2007, Excel 2010, or Excel 2013, click Advanced at the left of the dialog box. Scroll through the options until you see the General section. If you are using Excel 2016 or a later version, at the left of the dialog box click either Ease of Access or Accessibility (Microsoft keeps changing the option name for some reason). Windows displays the Ease of Access dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Accessibility options of the Excel Options dialog box.

  3. Regardless of which version of Excel you are using, make sure the Provide Feedback with Sound check box is selected.
  4. Click on OK.

You have now enabled the use of sounds. If you want to change which sounds Excel uses, then do your tweaking in using the Sound Scheme drop-down list (if it is available in your version of Excel) or in the Sounds applet of the Control Panel (within Windows, not in Excel itself).

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8240) 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: Getting Audible Feedback.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Hyperlinks Not Found

When creating hyperlinks in a document, it is important to remember the difference between absolute and relative ...

Discover More

Wildcards in 'Replace With' Text

When doing searches in Excel, you can use wildcard characters in the specification of what you are searching. However, ...

Discover More

Calculating a Geometric Standard Deviation

One of the areas in which Excel provides worksheet functions is in the arena of statistical analysis. You may want to ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Turning Off Error Checking

A little green triangle in the corner of a cell means that Excel thinks there is an error with the cell contents. If ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Numbered Columns

Excel normally refers to columns as A, B, C, etc. It also has a referencing format that allows columns to be referred to ...

Discover More

Limiting Options when Saving

Excel allows you to save your workbooks in many different places. By default, it helpfully provides all those places. You ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 4 + 7?

2024-03-23 12:14:10

Brian Lair

“… an even wider array of obnoxious noises” - That made me chuckle. :-)

2024-03-23 12:06:24

J. Woolley

My Excel Toolbox includes the ToggleFeedbackSound macro to toggle feedback with sound (Enable/Disable). This macro supports Undo (Ctrl+Z).
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox

This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.