Excel MONTH Function (Month Number) – Examples & Practice
Practice the Excel MONTH function online with an interactive grid, instant feedback, and clear formula help.
Instruction
Extract the month number from date in A2.
Formula Syntax
=MONTH(serial_number)
- serial_number: The date whose month you want.
What it does
MONTH returns the month number for a date serial. It is essential for time-based grouping in formulas.
Excel MONTH Function Examples
Month number
=MONTH(A2)
Returns 1–12 for the date in A2.
date-calendar.xlsx
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date | Offset Months |
| 2 | 2026-01-15 | 0 |
| 3 | 2026-02-28 | 1 |
| 4 | 2026-03-31 | -1 |
| 5 | 2026-07-04 | 2 |
| 6 | 2026-12-20 | 3 |
| 7 | Output |
Input Formula
Need Help?
Tips
- Pair with YEAR for composite period keys.
- Use TEXT when you need three-letter month labels.
- Prefer Power Query for complex fiscal calendars.
MONTH Function Use Cases
- Fiscal period tagging
- Seasonality dashboards
- Pivot-style month buckets inside formulas
- Joining month keys across tables
- Teaching date serial structure
Common mistakes - MONTH function not working
- Expecting month names from MONTH alone
- Mixing fiscal months without a mapping table
- Using MONTH on text dates
- Confusing month number with week number
- Hard-coding season ranges inline without documentation
FAQ
Does MONTH return text month names?
No. MONTH returns 1–12; use TEXT for month names.
MONTH vs TEXT?
MONTH is numeric; TEXT formats a date as a string.
Can MONTH drive seasonality models?
Yes, as a numeric regressor or category feature.
Does MONTH work on datetime?
Yes, it reads the date portion of the serial.
Why do I get January unexpectedly?
Serial 0 or blank coercion can map to a base date; validate inputs.
Comparison
| Function | Output |
|---|---|
| MONTH | 1–12 |
| TEXT | Formatted string |
| EOMONTH | Month boundary date |
Example
=MONTH(A2)
Advanced examples
Fiscal month shift
Use a mapping table or add an offset with IF when fiscal months differ from calendar months.