How to Type Nepali in Microsoft Excel (and Fix Font Errors)

The Problem with Preeti in Excel

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis, but it was not designed to handle legacy ASCII fonts like Preeti or Kantipur. If you type Nepali data into Excel using the Preeti font, you will quickly notice two major problems:

• Sorting breaks: If you try to sort names alphabetically (A to Z), Excel will sort them based on the underlying English keystrokes, completely ruining your data order.
• Filtering fails: Searching for a specific Nepali name using the search bar becomes impossible.

The Solution: Use Devanagari Unicode

To use Excel correctly, you must input your data using Nepali Unicode (such as the Mangal font). Because Unicode assigns a unique digital code to every Devanagari character, Excel perfectly understands how to sort, filter, and search your data.

How to Fix Existing Excel Files

1. If you have an old Excel sheet filled with Preeti text, highlight the column and copy the data.
2. Paste it into our Preeti to Unicode Converter.
3. Copy the resulting Unicode text and paste it back into your Excel column.
4. You can now safely use Excel's built-in Sort & Filter features!

How to Type Directly in Excel

To type directly into a new spreadsheet, do not switch your font to Preeti. Instead, keep the font as Arial or Calibri and use our Romanized Nepali Typing Tool to generate text, or install the standard Windows Nepali keyboard layout from your PC's language settings.

Try Our Top Conversion & Typing Tools