How to Use the WEEKDAY Function in Excel

Summary: Explore the capabilities of the WEEKDAY function in Microsoft Excel—an essential tool for determining the day of the week for a given date. In this tutorial, curated for data analysts with expertise in mathematics, finance, and trend analysis, delve into step-by-step instructions to seamlessly integrate the WEEKDAY function into your data analysis toolkit.

The WEEKDAY function within Excel empowers you to find the numerical representation of the day of the week for a specified date, aiding in day-based analysis and calculations. To harness the potential of this function, follow these comprehensive steps:

1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer.

2. Select a Cell: Choose the cell where you want to display the numerical day of the week using the WEEKDAY function.

3. Enter the Formula: Input the following formula into the selected cell:

   =WEEKDAY(date, [return_type])

   Replace "date" with the cell reference or date value for which you want to determine the day of the week. Optionally, you can specify the "[return_type]" to indicate the desired starting day of the week (1 for Sunday, 2 for Monday, and so on).

4. Press Enter: After entering the formula, press the Enter key to execute the function. The cell will display the numerical representation of the day of the week.

5. Example: Suppose you want to determine the day of the week for August 9, 2023. Use this formula:

   =WEEKDAY("2023-08-09", 2)

6. View Numerical Day of the Week: The cell will now display the numerical representation "3," which corresponds to Wednesday (assuming a starting day of the week as Monday).

Summary: By mastering the WEEKDAY function in Excel, you can effortlessly determine the numerical representation of the day of the week for a given date. By following the systematic instructions outlined in this tutorial, you can adeptly incorporate this function into your data analysis endeavors.

Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts, fostering further exploration of this topic.

Note: The WEEKDAY function is available in various versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, and Microsoft 365.