Discussion: Merging and Centering Cells

We have learned a variety of tips you can use to create visually appealing tables in Excel, including applying table and cell styles and changing the size of rows and columns.

Another helpful Excel tool is the ability to merge and center cells and to wrap text within a cell.

  1. Select the cells you wish to merge into one larger cell.
  2. Click “Merge & Center” from the “Alignment” group of the ribbon.An excel sheet is open. A green box highlights cells A1, A2, B1, and B2. A pink box shows the option to merge and center the content within the cell, with a dropdown menu appearing to show the various options.
  3. When you type in this merged cell, the text will automatically be centered left to right in the cell.

An excel sheet is open. In cells A1-B2, the cells have been merged with the text "One big cell." centered in the merged cell.

Discussion Questions

  • In what situations would this feature be useful?
  • Would you ever use this feature? Why or why not?

Share your opinions below and respond to two of your classmates’ thoughts.