Combine Cells in Excel on a New Line with CHAR(10)

To combine values from A2 and B2 in one cell with a line break between them, enter =A2&CHAR(10)&B2 in another cell, then select Home > Wrap Text. This joins the contents without deleting the original cells. The steps below cover formulas, manual line breaks, blank cells, and what to do if the result does not display as expected.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook and the cells whose contents you want to put together.
A blank destination cell for the combined result. Using a separate cell keeps your source values intact.
For the formula method, a version of Excel that supports CHAR and the ampersand operator. These are available in Microsoft 365 for Windows, Mac, and the web.

Step-by-Step

Decide which cells to combine and where the result should go. For example, suppose A2 contains “Maya” and B2 contains “Chen.” Choose an empty cell such as C2 for the result. A formula in C2 can refer to the source cells, so you can correct either name later and the combined result will update. If you need to combine a whole column of records, plan to place one result per row in a new column.
Enter a formula that puts a line break between the values. With the first value in A2, the second in B2, and the destination in C2, enter =A2&CHAR(10)&B2 in C2. The ampersands join the first cell, a line-feed character, and the second cell. The result is “Maya” on the first line and “Chen” on the next line, both inside C2. The original contents of A2 and B2 remain unchanged.
Turn on text wrapping so you can see the break. Select the result cell, then choose Home > Wrap Text. CHAR(10) inserts a line break in the cell, but wrapping allows Excel to show the content on multiple lines instead of making it appear as one long line. If you have several results, select the whole result range before choosing Wrap Text.
Make the row tall enough to show every line. If only the first line is visible, move the pointer to the lower edge of the row number on the left and double-click the boundary to AutoFit the row height. You can also drag the boundary downward to set a height yourself. If the row has a manually fixed height, AutoFit may be needed again after you change the text or column width.
Use TEXTJOIN when you are combining several cells. With the values to combine in A2:C2 and the result in D2, enter =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2:C2). If A2 contains “Maya,” B2 is empty, and C2 contains “Chen,” the result is Maya followed by a line break and Chen; TRUE tells TEXTJOIN to ignore the empty cell. TEXTJOIN is available in Microsoft 365 and newer Excel versions, including Excel 2019. If your version does not have it, join cells individually with ampersands and CHAR(10).
Fill the formula down if each row needs its own combined result. Put a formula in the first destination row, select that cell, and drag the small square at its lower-right corner (the fill handle) down the column. For example, a formula referring to A2 and B2 adjusts to A3 and B3 in the next row. Confirm that the first few results reference the matching source row before filling a large range. You can also copy and paste the formula down the destination column.
Use a manual line break when you are editing one cell by hand. Double-click a cell or press F2 to edit it, position the insertion point where the next line should start, and press Alt+Enter on Windows. On Mac, use Control+Option+Return. Type the remaining text, then press Enter (or Return on Mac) to finish. This creates a break in the cell’s contents, rather than a new worksheet row. Wrap Text may still be needed to display the separate lines clearly.
Keep the source data and decide whether the result should stay dynamic. A formula result changes when its source cells change. To keep a final result fixed, copy the result cells and use Home > Paste > Paste Values in a different destination range. Check that the pasted cells still show the intended line breaks. Avoid using Merge & Center for this task: merging cells changes the worksheet layout and does not combine the text from every selected cell.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting Wrap Text. The formula can contain a real line break while the cell appears to show a continuous string. Turn on Home > Wrap Text and check the row height before changing the formula.
Using Merge & Center to join text. Merge is for combining worksheet cells into a larger area, not for joining their contents. When you merge cells that each contain data, Excel keeps the upper-left cell’s content and can discard the other contents. Use a formula in a separate cell instead.
Putting the line break in the wrong place. In the formula, CHAR(10) must sit between the cell references. If you omit one ampersand or place CHAR(10) at the end, the values may run together or the break may appear after the last value.
Expecting a formula to overwrite its source cells. A formula belongs in a separate destination cell. If you put a formula in A2 that refers to A2, you create a circular reference instead of combining A2 with another value.
Filling down without checking references. Ordinary references adjust as a formula is copied. This is usually what you want for row-by-row combinations, but it can point to an unintended row if the source layout is irregular. Inspect several filled results.

Tips

Choose a delimiter that fits the content. CHAR(10) makes a new line inside one cell. If you want a space or punctuation instead, use a text separator between cell references. For example, an ampersand with a space in quotation marks can create “Maya Chen” on one line. Use CHAR(10) when a stacked layout is more readable.
Ignore empty cells when combining a range. In TEXTJOIN, the TRUE argument skips blank cells, avoiding unnecessary empty lines between populated values. If empty cells should represent blank lines in your output, use FALSE instead, and check the result because the blank entries will be included.
Preserve how dates and numbers look. When you join a number or date directly, Excel may show its underlying value rather than the display format you expect. With a date in A2 and a status in B2, and the desired date display of Nov 2, 2026, use =TEXT(A2,"mmm d, yyyy")&CHAR(10)&B2. The output shows the formatted date on the first line and the status on the second. Choose a TEXT format that suits your regional date conventions.
Adjust the column width before judging the layout. A narrow column can wrap each line at unexpected points, while a wider one makes the intended break easier to read. Changing the width can alter the row height, so recheck the result after resizing.
Use the formula bar to verify the contents. Select a result cell and inspect the formula bar if the worksheet view is cramped. This helps distinguish a missing CHAR(10) from a display issue caused by wrapping or row height.

Troubleshooting

The text still looks like one line: Select the result cells and choose Home > Wrap Text. Then AutoFit the row height by double-clicking the row boundary. Also confirm that CHAR(10) is between the source references and that you are looking at the result cell, not one of the original cells.

The second line is cut off: Increase the row height or AutoFit it. If the row is inside a range with unusual sizing or merged cells, Excel may not AutoFit it as expected; try dragging the row boundary manually. A narrow column can also create extra wrapped lines, so widen it and check again.

The formula appears as text instead of calculating: Check whether the destination cell is formatted as Text. Change its format to General using Home > Number Format, then edit the cell and press Enter so Excel evaluates the formula. Also make sure the entry begins with an equals sign and that Show Formulas is not enabled. On Windows, Ctrl+` toggles Show Formulas; on many Mac keyboards, Control+` does the same, though the key location can vary.

You see #NAME? or another error: Check the spelling of CHAR and make sure its argument is 10, as in the example. If you used TEXTJOIN, confirm your Excel version supports it. In some regional settings, Excel expects semicolons instead of commas between function arguments; use the separator configured for your Excel installation if the formula is rejected. The ampersand-and-CHAR approach does not use function argument separators.

The output shows a number instead of a date: Format the date inside the formula with TEXT, as shown in Tips, rather than joining the raw date value. Pick a format such as a month name and day that is unambiguous for the people reading the sheet.

The manual shortcut inserts something unexpected: Make sure the cell is in edit mode and the cursor is inside its text before using the shortcut. On Windows, press Alt+Enter; on Mac, use Control+Option+Return. If you are using Excel for the web and the shortcut behaves differently in your browser or keyboard layout, use the formula method, which inserts the line break through CHAR(10).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does combining cells on a new line merge the worksheet cells?
No. A formula with CHAR(10) puts multiple values in one cell with a line break between them. The source cells remain separate. Merge & Center changes the cell layout and does not safely join all selected contents.

Do I need to use CHAR(10) and Wrap Text together?
Use CHAR(10) to add the line-break character to a formula result, then turn on Wrap Text to display the break clearly in the worksheet. Adjust the row height if the full result is not visible.

Can I combine more than two cells?
Yes. Join additional cell references with ampersands and CHAR(10), or use TEXTJOIN with a range and CHAR(10) as its delimiter. TEXTJOIN is convenient when the cells form a continuous range or when you want to skip blanks.

Can I put the combined result back into the original cells?
Not while keeping those original values in place. Put the formula in a separate cell. If you want to replace the source data after checking the result, copy the result and paste values over the intended cells, taking care not to overwrite data you still need.

Will the line break appear when I print or export the workbook?
It should appear in a worksheet printout when the cell’s wrapping and row height allow all lines to show. Check Print Preview before printing. Export behavior can depend on the file format and the program opening it, so inspect the exported file if the line breaks are important.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

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

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.