# How to remove quotation marks from text in Excel

Replace the quote character with nothing: =SUBSTITUTE(A2,"""",""). The four quotes stand for one quote mark.

**Excel:** `=SUBSTITUTE(A2,"""","")` (Every current version)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B |
| --- | --- |
| Value (CSV export) | Clean |
| "Northwind Traders" |  |
| "Contoso, Ltd" |  |
| Fabrikam |  |
| "Size ""XL"" shirt" |  |
| "Adatum" |  |

Formula in B2, filled to B6: `=SUBSTITUTE(A2,"""","")`

Result: Northwind Traders; Contoso, Ltd; Fabrikam; Size XL shirt; Adatum

## How it works

Inside a formula, a quote mark in text is written as two quotes, and the whole text needs its own quotes around it, so `""""` is the text made of one quote mark. SUBSTITUTE replaces every one of them with nothing.

## Other ways

- `=SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(34),"")`: CHAR(34) is the double quote character; easier to read.
- `=IF(AND(LEFT(A2)="""",RIGHT(A2)=""""),MID(A2,2,LEN(A2)-2),A2)`: Removes only the quotes wrapped around the value, keeping any inside it. ("Size ""XL"" shirt" keeps its inner quotes.)

## Common mistakes

- Curly quotes (“ ”) from Word or web pages are different characters. Copy one into the formula: `SUBSTITUTE(A2,"“","")`.
- Removing quotes from values that contain commas can break a CSV export later. Remove them only in the final data.

## Questions

**How do I remove single quotes?**

Use `=SUBSTITUTE(A2,"'","")`.

**How do I add quotes around text instead?**

Use `=""""&A2&""""`.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/remove-quotation-marks-from-text