Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, 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: Understanding Underlines.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 16, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365
There are several different types of underlines you can use in Excel. Underlining of information within cells is handled by displaying the Home tab of the ribbon and, within the Cells group, clicking the down-arrow to the right of Format and choosing Format Cells. Excel displays the Format Cells dialog box; you should make sure the Font tab is visible. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. The Font tab of the Format Cells dialog box.
In the Underline box, in the lower-left corner, you can select any of five different underline types.
| Underline Type | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| None | Removes any underlining from the cell contents. | |
| Single | Adds a single underline, the width of the cell contents. | |
| Double | Adds a double-line underline, the width of the cell contents. | |
| Single Accounting | Adds a single underline that is noticeably lower than the Single underline. In addition, the width of the underline extends the entire cell width if the cell contains text or dates. | |
| Double Accounting | Adds a double-line underline that is noticeably lower than the Double underline. In addition, the width of the underline extends the entire cell width if the cell contains text or dates. |
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9007) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Understanding Underlines.
Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!
When you create workbooks for others to use, you might want to make sure that they can't change the formatting and paper ...
Discover MoreWhen you save a workbook, you expect Excel to remember the formatting you applied in the worksheets in that workbook. If ...
Discover MoreWhen you format a date in a specific manner, you may be surprised to see that the format changes when you open the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2025-08-16 19:31:35
Erik
Unlike text in a cell, there are at least two ways to underline text in a shape—and they deliver different results. See picture.
(see Figure 1 below)
Figure 1. Two ways to underline text in a shape
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, 2024, 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