Hi. In this video we're going to learn how to jumble words in Excel by creating a word jumble! So, to get started, the first thing I like to
do when I do any of these, um, puzzles and games is to set my margins.
So we go under Page Layout for that, Margins, and I like to choose 1 inch margins. So, the reason I do this is - is you can always just share
this electronically, but if your recipient prints it or your intent is to print this for an event,
um, this way you know that it's going to work, um, with most printers.
So, when I do that, you see this very faint, dotted line between columns I and J on my screen? That lets me know that that's where
my page 1 ends. So if my words come out to anywhere over here, they're on the next to page.
So that gives me a guide of where to start and stop.
So, we're going to do a birthday themed word jumble in this example.
And, to do that, we're going to type just a couple of words that are birthday related. Now, I'm leaving a lot of spacing between each one
just so I can, um, I can show you the steps. Um, you, obviously, may have more words, um,
you know, you would format this to fit the number of words that you - you need for your specific, um, event that you're doing this for.
So...
we're going to need to do 2 things to jumble the words. 1. divide the word up so that we
have one letter per cell and then, step 2. we'll need to figure out how to jumble the words.
So, for the first part, we're going to use a combination of the MID - of the MID and COLUMNS formulas. Now, the MID formula is
a formula that extracts data from within a cell. So that's going to help us extract the
information from the cell that contains the word. In this case, Birthday.
So, we're...that is cell A3. So, we want to make column A static. And we do that with the $ sign in front of the A.
So then we add our comma, and here we're going to insert the COLUMNS formula. Now, COLUMNS is a
reference formula in Excel and this will help the software know, um,
which letters and what location we need the letters plugged into. So, we're again going to
choose that same cell, A3. We're again going to make the letter A static.
Then we add a colon ( : )
and we click A3 again. This time you don't make that second one static.
So, comma, and then for number of characters, you're going to type 1 because you want 1 letter per cell. And when we do that we
see that B is split out. So then we just copy that and paste it all the way over. And, now you see that Birthday is split into one cell per letter.
So we're just going copy this and do the same thing...
do the same thing for Surprise.
And that's split up. So, then, step 2 is how - how do we shuffle this? So, I'm going to use
the RAND formula. Now, the RAND formula generates random numbers less than 1,
whoops!, not a zero, um, less than 1 in whichever cell you put it in. So, like, we have and .98192
And it's a dynamic formula, meaning that every time you do an action, it changes. So, we're going to copy this over and you'll see how
my numbers change each time. But that's Ok for this, we just need a random number
underneath each letter. So, we're going to do the same thing under Surprise. And then, now that we've done that, assuming you've done this
for all your words, you're going to highlight everything. You're going to copy and you're just going to paste everything as values.
So, Paste Special, Values and then this gets rid of your formulas. So now everything is just
data in a cell. You no longer have any formulas that can change on you. So you see these are just letters, it's not the MID and COLUMNS
formula and this is no longer just the RAND formula, now it's just the numerical result.
So, the next thing we want to do now is we want to sort these.
And that was the reason for the RAND formula.
So, we go under the Data tab,
choose Sort. And it defaults to sorting by column, but if you go under Options, you can sort left to right.
So, just make sure you change your orientation left to right,
choose Ok, and that changes this to Rows, where my cursor is. Now we want to sort by row 5. Row 5 is where
our number is. So we click Ok and you see that that jumbles up the word Birthday.
So we delete that. And then we do the same exercise for Surprise. Go under Data, Sort. It should still be by Column, um, excuse me, by
Row. So, make sure that it is. If it's by columns just go back into your Options and choose left to right.
And you would again choose the row that has your numbers. Click Ok.
And now Surprise is jumbled. And, of course, you want to delete the actual word.
Um, so now we've jumbled the words. And the next thing you may want to do is, you know, highlight the cells just below it. And, in your
Home tab, add some borders so people know where to type in their answers.
And, from there, you can format it as you want. You can, um, center everything. You can make it bold, um, whatever your like, um, for your
specific event and your specific needs. You can do a lot of the formatting right from the Home tab.
So, I hope this helped you learn how to
jumble and mix up your words, um, your letters, in Excel. So you're ready to create a word jumble for that next event.
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