How to Fill A to Z in Excel With Formulas or Autofill

To fill A to Z in Excel, enter =CHAR(ROWS($A$1:A1)+64) in the first cell, then fill it down 26 rows; to create the letters across columns, use =CHAR(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)+64) and fill right. In Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021, a single SEQUENCE formula can also generate the complete list at once.

What It Means to Fill A to Z

Usually, filling A to Z means putting the 26 uppercase English letters into worksheet cells, either as a vertical list or a horizontal row. These are cell values, not Excel’s column headings. The headings along the top of a worksheet already use letters, continuing from Z to AA, AB, and onward; entering a formula in cells will not change those built-in labels.

Excel does not treat an individual letter as a number series in the same way it treats 1, 2, 3. Typing A into a cell and dragging the fill handle may copy A rather than continue through the alphabet. Entering A and B first is not a dependable way to create A, B, C, and so on either: AutoFill may repeat the entries as a pattern. A formula based on character codes avoids that ambiguity.

Fill the Alphabet Down a Column With a Formula

For a vertical list starting in A1, enter the formula below in A1. It converts the number 65 to the character A, then counts up by one each time the formula is filled down. In the formula, the ROWS function counts how many rows are included from the fixed starting point to the current row.

With the first formula in A1 and the intended list in A1:A26, enter =CHAR(ROWS($A$1:A1)+64) in A1. The first result is A; after filling down, A26 returns Z.

Select A1 and type the formula, then press Enter.
Select A1 again. Drag the small square at the lower-right corner of the cell—the fill handle—down to A26. Alternatively, select A1:A26 and choose Home > Fill > Down. On Windows, Ctrl+D fills the selected range using its top cell.
Check the first and last results: A1 should show A and A26 should show Z.

The dollar sign in $A$1 locks the starting reference, while the final A1 is relative. As the formula is copied down, that reference changes to A2, A3, and so forth. ROWS then returns 1, 2, 3, producing character codes 65, 66, 67. If you start somewhere other than A1, the formula still works when entered in the starting cell as written, because the count is based on its relative reference; you can also replace the references with ones suited to your layout.

Fill A to Z Across a Row

To place the alphabet from left to right, use a column count instead of a row count. With the first formula in A1 and the intended list in A1:Z1, enter =CHAR(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)+64) in A1. The first result is A; when filled across, Z1 returns Z.

Enter the formula in A1, then drag the fill handle across to Z1. Another option is to select A1:Z1 and use Home > Fill > Right. On Windows, Alt+H, I, R is the ribbon sequence for Fill Right. The relative reference advances as the formula moves across the row, so COLUMNS counts 1 in A1, 2 in B1, and eventually 26 in Z1. If you are using Excel for Mac, the ribbon command is available; use Home > Fill > Right if you do not want to rely on a Windows keyboard shortcut.

For a vertical list, Home > Fill > Down applies the top cell’s content through the selected range. For a horizontal list, Home > Fill > Right applies the leftmost cell’s content across the selection. In either case, select the range including the cell that already contains the formula.

Generate All 26 Letters With SEQUENCE

In Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021, SEQUENCE can return a run of numbers in one formula, and CHAR can convert those numbers to letters. This is convenient when you want a compact formula and do not need to drag a fill handle. With A1 as the top cell of an empty vertical output area, enter =CHAR(SEQUENCE(26,1,65,1)) in A1. It spills 26 results from A through Z into A1:A26.

For a horizontal result, with A1 as the leftmost cell of an empty output area, enter =CHAR(SEQUENCE(1,26,65,1)) in A1. It spills the letters across A1:Z1. The four SEQUENCE arguments specify 26 rows and one column for a vertical list, or one row and 26 columns for a horizontal list; 65 is the first character code, and 1 is the increment.

A spilled formula occupies the cells it needs automatically. Leave the destination cells empty: if any cell in the spill area contains data, Excel displays a spill error instead of placing the full result. Clear the obstructing cell or choose a different starting point. You can edit the formula in the top-left cell; the other displayed results are part of the spill and are not individually edited as separate formulas.

Make the Letters Lowercase or Change the Starting Cell

Lowercase English letters use character codes 97 through 122. With the first formula in A1 and the intended vertical list in A1:A26, enter =CHAR(ROWS($A$1:A1)+96) in A1 and fill down. It returns a in the first cell and z in the twenty-sixth. For a horizontal lowercase row, use the column-count version: with the first formula in A1 and the intended list in A1:Z1, enter =CHAR(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)+96) in A1 and fill right.

If the list starts at a different cell, the key is to count from 1 at the starting position. For example, to begin in D5 and fill downward, enter =CHAR(ROWS($D$5:D5)+64) in D5. The fixed reference keeps the start anchored, while the second reference expands as you fill. If your worksheet uses a different starting cell, adjust both references so the fixed endpoint and the initial relative endpoint match that cell.

Turn Formula Results Into Fixed Letters

A formula-based list updates if its formula is changed, which can be useful but may not be what you want when sharing or editing the workbook. To keep only the displayed letters, select the completed range, copy it, then use Home > Paste > Paste Values. The cells will contain the letter values rather than formulas. In Excel for the web, the same general copy-and-paste-values approach is available through the ribbon; the exact presentation of paste options can vary by interface.

Another simple option is to enter the 26 letters as literal values if the list is a one-time input and you do not need it generated by a formula. A formula is usually easier to check and recreate, while pasted values are useful when you want the list to remain fixed even if surrounding formulas or references change.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

The formula repeats A: Check that the changing reference is relative. In the vertical formula, $A$1 should be fixed but the last A1 should not have dollar signs before both its column and row.
The list starts with B or another letter: The starting count may not be 1, or the character-code offset may have been changed. For uppercase A, the first calculation must produce 65: count 1 plus 64.
The last character is not Z: Confirm that there are 26 cells in the filled range and that the formula was copied through the twenty-sixth position. A1 through A26 contains 26 cells; A1 through A25 contains only 25.
Excel shows a spill error: This applies to the SEQUENCE method. Remove content from cells in the intended spill area, including cells that may look blank but contain a formula or spaces.
The result shows a number or an error: Check that the formula begins with an equals sign and that parentheses are balanced. If your regional settings use semicolons as formula separators, Excel may require semicolons in formulas with multiple arguments; the examples here use commas.
The formula returns punctuation after Z: CHAR simply converts character codes. Continuing beyond code 90 does not create Excel-style labels AA, AB, and AC. The A-to-Z formulas are designed for exactly 26 letters.

Alphabet Letters Versus Excel Column Labels

A frequent source of confusion is the difference between making an alphabet list and generating column labels. The formulas above return A through Z only. Excel worksheet columns continue after Z with two-letter labels such as AA and AB, so those labels follow a different numbering system. If the goal is to refer to column positions, use Excel’s existing column headings or a formula specifically designed to convert numbers into column labels; simply extending the CHAR sequence will produce punctuation rather than AA.

Similarly, CHAR is not a general-purpose alphabet generator for every language. These examples use the standard English uppercase and lowercase character codes. Accented letters and characters from other alphabets may depend on different character sets or functions, so do not assume that adding one to the code will produce the next letter in a language-specific alphabet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Excel automatically fill A, B, C, and so on?
Not reliably through ordinary AutoFill. Excel readily extends many number and date series, but text letters are not treated as a built-in alphabet series in the same way. Use the CHAR formula or SEQUENCE method to produce a predictable A-to-Z list.

How do I fill A to Z horizontally in Excel?
Enter =CHAR(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)+64) in A1 and fill right through Z1. In Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021, =CHAR(SEQUENCE(1,26,65,1)) in an empty A1 spills the same sequence across the row.

How do I make the letters lowercase?
Use 96 instead of 64 as the offset. For a vertical fill starting in A1, enter =CHAR(ROWS($A$1:A1)+96) and fill down 26 cells to get a through z.

How can I keep the letters but remove the formulas?
Copy the completed range and paste values over it using Home > Paste > Paste Values. The resulting cells retain the letters as fixed values and no longer depend on the original formulas.

Can the same formula continue from Z to AA?
No. CHAR converts a single character code and does not implement Excel’s column-label numbering system. A formula that adds one to the code after Z produces another character, not the two-letter label AA.

Which Method Should You Choose?

For a simple list that works in older desktop versions, use the ROWS formula vertically or the COLUMNS formula horizontally and fill the range. Choose SEQUENCE when you have Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021 and want one formula to spill all 26 results. If the letters need to stay unchanged, paste the results as values. Whichever method you use, check that the range contains 26 positions and that the final output is Z.

Try it: the Formula Explainer: paste any formula and see each function and reference in plain English.

More in Formulas & functions

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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