# Excel question - randomly combining cells **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-randomly-combining-cells/544442 "2010-06-25T03:19:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-randomly-combining-cells/544442/1 "2010-06-25T03:19:24Z")
This is another one of those ‘I hope I can put it into words’ threads. Probably pointless background: I make up languages. I like to have a list of randomly generated ‘words’ to chose from. Unfortunately the tool I used has disappeared and I can’t find a replacement. There’s a spreadsheet-like program that will do it, but it’s almost unusable (it crashes when saving and won’t open what it saved). Thus, I’m wondering if Excel can do it. What I want is to be able to define a list of phonemes and a word format and have Excel generate from that. For example, on one sheet have V C * * * a b e d i g o p u q And somehow tell Excel to take random letters from those columns in the formats CVC VC CV and randomly generate some words. I hope I’ve explained this right. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-randomly-combining-cells/544442/2 "2010-06-25T04:00:28Z")
Not sure I have understood what you want but … First set up your selection table something like below: ColA ColB ColC Num V C 0 a b 1 e d 2 i g 3 o p 4 u q Second determine your random selection of the seven letters in range 0-4 letter #1 4 =INT(RAND()\*5) letter #2 3 =INT(RAND()\*5) letter #3 1 etc Third create the triplet/couplets CVC qod =VLOOKUP(B9,$A$2:$C$6,3,TRUE)&VLOOKUP(B10,$A$2:$C$6,2,TRUE)&VLOOKUP(B11,$A$2:$C$6,3,TRUE) VC ab =VLOOKUP(B12,$A$2:$C$6,2,TRUE)&VLOOKUP(B13,$A$2:$C$6,3,TRUE) CV ga =VLOOKUP(B14,$A$2:$c$6,2,TRUE)&VLOOKUP(B15,$A$2:$C$6,3,TRUE) ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-randomly-combining-cells/544442/3 "2010-06-25T04:57:17Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Not sure I have understood what you want but … Awesome. That should do it. Thank you so much!