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How to count cells that end with a value in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=COUNTIF(A2:A6,"*ing")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Activity |
| Running |
| Swimming |
| Cycling |
| Reading |
| Yoga |
=COUNTIF(A2:A6,"*ing")→4
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Step by step
- 1Select the output cell.
- 2Type =COUNTIF( and select your range, e.g. A2:A6.
- 3Enter the criterion with an asterisk before the suffix: "*ing" counts anything ending with 'ing'.
- 4Close the parenthesis and press Enter.
- 5For a dynamic suffix from D1, use: =COUNTIF(A2:A6,"*"&D1).
Tips
- The match is case-insensitive — '*ing' and '*ING' yield the same count.
- Combine start and end wildcards to count cells containing a substring: "*ing*".
- For case-sensitive ends-with, use =SUMPRODUCT((RIGHT(A2:A6,3)="ing")*1) adjusting the length.
- Works with numeric suffixes too when values are stored as text.
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Frequently asked
How do I count cells that end with a number?
Use =COUNTIF(A2:A6,"*0") to count cells ending in 0, for example.
Why does my formula count more than expected?
Check for trailing spaces. Use TRIM on your data or adjust the criterion to include a space, e.g. "*ing " is different from "*ing".