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How to exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) in Excel?

Author Siluvia Last modified

When working with Excel, you may encounter situations where you need to compare two strings while considering case sensitivity. Excel’s default behavior is to compare strings without distinguishing between uppercase and lowercase letters. For instance, "Excel" and "EXCEL" are treated as equal when using standard comparison operators. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to perform case-sensitive string comparisons in Excel

Exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) with formula

Exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) and highlight the differences by Kutools

Exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) with formula

As below screenshot shown, you need to compare strings in column A and B considering case sensitive in Excel. Please do as follows.

sample data

The EXACT function is specifically designed for case-sensitive comparisons. It returns TRUE if two strings are exactly the same (including case) and FALSE otherwise.

1. Select the blank cell C2, enter the below formula into the Formula Bar, then press the Enter key. See screenshot:

=EXACT(A2, B2)

compare two strings with formula

2. Keep selecting cell C2, drag the Fill Handle down to the cells to get all results.

drag the Fill Handle down to the cells to get all results

Notes:

1. If the cell returns the TRUE result, it means that the compared strings are exactly matched. Otherwise, they are different.

2. If you want to generate your own results such as Yes and No instead of TRUE and FALSE. Please apply the following formula. See screenshot:

=IF(EXACT(A2,B2),"Yes","No")

display the results as Yes or No

Exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) and highlight the differences with Kutools

Need to compare two strings in Excel with case-sensitive precision and highlight the differences? Kutools for Excel offers a quick and effortless solution to ensure your data matches exactly as intended. Whether you're validating passwords, checking codes, or ensuring data accuracy, Kutools simplifies the process, saving you time and effort.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

After installing Kutools for Excel, please click "Kutools" > "Range" > "Compare Cells" to go to the "Compare Cells" feature.

In the "Compare Cells" dialog box, specify the following operations:

  1. Select the two comparing ranges separately in the "Find values in" box and "According to" box;
  2. Select "Different cells" from the "Find" section;
  3. Specify the background color or font color to fill the different cells;
  4. Check "Case sensitive" option;
  5. Finally, click OK button.
    specify the options in the dialog box

Result: Kutools will instantly compare the strings and highlight any differences with case sensitive. See screenshot:
compare two strings by kutools

Selecting and highlighting row differences in Excel can be achieved through multiple methods,by following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can optimize your workflow and handle this task with ease and efficiency. If you're interested in exploring more Excel tips and tricks, our website offers thousands of tutorials to help you master Excel.

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