How to Combine 2 Columns in Excel with a Space

To combine two columns in Excel with a space between them, use =A2&" "&B2 in a new column and copy it down. For example, Jane in A2 and Smith in B2 become Jane Smith. =CONCAT(A2," ",B2) does the same thing. To combine three or more columns and skip empty cells, use =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2). If you’d rather not use a formula, type the first result by hand and press Ctrl + E to let Flash Fill do the rest. Here’s each method, plus how to turn the results into plain text and keep dates and numbers formatted correctly.

Method 1: The ampersand (&)

1. Click the first empty cell next to your data, for example C2.
2. Type =A2&" "&B2 and press Enter. The ” “ is a space in quotation marks.
3. Double-click the fill handle (the small square at the bottom right of C2) to copy the formula down to the end of your data.

Swap the space for any separator you like: =A2&", "&B2 adds a comma and space, and =A2&" - "&B2 adds a dash.

Method 2: CONCAT or CONCATENATE

• =CONCAT(A2," ",B2) works in Microsoft 365 and Excel 2019 and later.
• =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2) works in every version.

Both give the same result as the ampersand. Use whichever you find easier to read. For more on these functions, see how to concatenate in Excel.

Method 3: TEXTJOIN for three or more columns

=TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2)

The first argument is the separator, and TRUE tells Excel to skip empty cells. That avoids double spaces when, for example, a middle name is missing. TEXTJOIN works in Microsoft 365 and Excel 2019 and later. In older versions, use =TRIM(A2&" "&B2&" "&C2). TRIM removes the extra spaces left by blank cells.

Example: combine three columns into an address

With a street in A2, a city in B2 and a zip code in C2, you might want 12 Oak St, Springfield 02134. Each method handles it like this:

Method	Formula
Ampersand	=A2&", "&B2&" "&TEXT(C2,"00000")
CONCAT	=CONCAT(A2,", ",B2," ",TEXT(C2,"00000"))
TEXTJOIN (same separator throughout)	=TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2)

Use the ampersand or CONCAT when you need different separators between parts, as here, with a comma after the street but only a space before the zip code. Use TEXTJOIN when the same separator goes between every part and some cells might be empty. The same approach works for four, five or more columns. Just keep adding &" "& and the next cell.

Method 4: Flash Fill (no formula)

1. In C2, type the combined result for the first row exactly as you want it, for example Jane Smith.
2. Click C3 and press Ctrl + E.

Excel copies the pattern down the column. Check a few rows, because Flash Fill can guess wrong when the data varies. Unlike formulas, Flash Fill results don’t update if the original columns change.

Method 5: Combine whole columns at once (Microsoft 365)

Type =A2:A500&" "&B2:B500 in C2. The results spill down automatically, with no need to copy the formula. Keep the cells below C2 empty, or you’ll see a #SPILL! error.

Keep the combined text and delete the original columns

Formulas break if you delete the columns they refer to. To keep only the combined text:

1. Select the column of results and press Ctrl + C.
2. Right-click the same cells and choose Paste Values (the clipboard with 123).
3. Now you can safely delete columns A and B.

Combine dates and numbers without losing their format

Joining a date gives a number such as 46302, because Excel stores dates as numbers. Wrap the date or number in TEXT to choose how it looks:

• Date: =A2&" "&TEXT(B2,"mmm d, yyyy") gives Order Oct 8, 2026.
• Currency: =A2&" "&TEXT(B2,"$#,##0.00") gives Total $1,250.00.
• Leading zeros: =A2&" "&TEXT(B2,"00000") keeps zip codes like 02134.

For more on this, see how to convert a number to text in Excel.

Other separators

• Line break: =A2&CHAR(10)&B2, then turn on Wrap Text. See how to add a line break in an Excel cell.
• Last name first: =B2&", "&A2 gives Smith, Jane.

For large or repeating jobs: Power Query

If you combine columns every time you import the same report, use Power Query. Select the data, go to Data > From Table/Range, select both columns, then go to Transform > Merge Columns, choose Space as the separator, and click Close & Load. Next time, just click Refresh. See how to find and enable Power Query in Excel.

Don’t use Merge & Center

Home > Merge & Center merges cells, not their contents. It keeps only the top-left value and deletes the rest, so it isn’t a way to combine two columns of data.

Troubleshooting

The formula shows as text

The cell is formatted as Text. Change it to General and re-enter the formula.

There are double spaces

The original cells contain extra spaces. Wrap the formula in TRIM: =TRIM(A2&" "&B2).

Related guides

• How to merge first name and last name in Excel
• How to use VLOOKUP for multiple columns

Summary

1. Type =A2&" "&B2 and copy it down.
2. Use =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2) for three or more columns that might have blanks.
3. Or type one example and press Ctrl + E.
4. Paste as values before deleting the original columns.

Related: how to remove a space before text in Excel.