How to use let word

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The LET function assigns names to calculation results. This allows storing intermediate calculations, values, or defining names inside a formula. These names only apply within the scope of the LET function. Similar to variables in programming, LET is accomplished through Excel’s native formula syntax.

To use the LET function in Excel, you define pairs of names and associated values, and a calculation that uses them all. You must define at least one name/value pair (a variable), and LET supports up to 126.

LET diagram

Benefits

  • Improved Performance If you write the same expression multiple times in a formula, Excel calculated that result multiple times. LET allows you to call the expression by name and for Excel to calculate it once.

  • Easy Reading and Composition No more having to remember what a specific range/cell reference referred to, what your calculation was doing or copy/pasting the same expression. With the ability to declare and name variables, you can give meaningful context to yourself and consumers of your formula.

=LET(name1, name_value1, calculation_or_name2, [name_value2, calculation_or_name3…])

Argument

Description

name1

Required

The first name to assign. Must start with a letter. Cannot be the output of a formula or conflict with range syntax.

name_value1

Required

The value that is assigned to name1.

calculation_or_name2

Required

One of the following:

  • A calculation that uses all names within the LET function. This must be the last argument in the LET function.

  • A second name to assign to a second name_value. If a name is specified, name_value2 and calculation_or_name3 become required.

name_value2

Optional

The value that is assigned to calculation_or_name2.

calculation_or_name3

Optional

One of the following:

  • A calculation that uses all names within the LET function. The last argument in the LET function must be a calculation.

  • A third name to assign to a third name_value. If a name is specified, name_value3 and calculation_or_name4 become required.

Notes: 

  • The last argument must be a calculation which returns a result.

  • Names of variables align with valid names that can be used in the name manager. E.g. «a» is valid but «c» is not because it conflicts with R1C1 style references.

Examples

Example 1

Consider the simple expression «SUM(x, 1)» where x is a named variable that can be assigned a value (in this case, x is assigned the value 5).

=LET(x, 5, SUM(x, 1))

When this formula is input into a cell, it will return the value 6. 

Example 2

Suppose you have some raw sales data, and you’d like to filter that data to show one person, and add a dash to any blank cells.

Unfiltered Data

Filtered Data

Unfiltered Data of Sales

Filtered Data of Sales

While the above can be done without a LET, using LET improves readability of the formula and computes twice as fast as without LET.

Sample data   

Copy the following table to cell A1 of a blank worksheet if you’d like to walk through this example yourself.

Rep

Region

Product

Profit

Amy

East

Apple

$1.33

Fred

South

Banana

$0.09

Amy

West

Mango

$1.85

Fred

North

$0.82

Fred

West

Banana

$1.25

Amy

East

Apple

$0.72

Fred

North

Mango

$0.54

Original Formula

=IF(ISBLANK(FILTER(A2:D8,A2:A8=»Fred»)),»-«, FILTER(A2:D8,A2:A8=»Fred»))

Formula using LET

=LET(filterCriteria,“Fred”, filteredRange, FILTER(A2:D8,A2:A8=filterCriteria), IF(ISBLANK(filteredRange),»-«, filteredRange))

Need more help?

A Grammar Lesson on “Let”


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LanguageTool

We’ll show you how to construct a proper sentence using the verb “(to) let” by going over the grammar rules and providing example sentences.

What does let mean?

Let us teach you how to use the verb “(to) let.”
How To Properly Use the Verb “Let”

Let is always followed by a bare infinitive verb.

  • Correct: I let her try some of the food I ordered.
  • Incorrect:I let her to try some of the food I ordered.

Let’s talk about let and how to properly construct a grammatically sound sentence using this verb.

(To) let is a verb that has a handful of different definitions and uses. One of its primary meanings is “to allow or permit.”

Can you let Thomas attend the 5:00 PM lecture instead?

(To) let must be followed by an object and another verb.

I let Morgan [object] dance [verb] around in the rain.

However, the verb that follows it must be the bare infinitive form. Remember, an infinitive is the base form of a verb with “to” preceding it (these are known as full infinitives). A bare infinitive is one without the “to.”

I promise to dance with you during the next song.

In the sentence above, promise is a verb and to dance is the infinitive verb.

When followed by a verb, let is always followed by a bare infinitive verb, (never with a full infinitive verb). Keep in mind that let can also be followed by a noun phrase (e.g., Let the man in) or a preposition (e.g., The dog needs to be let out).

I let him dance with her first.

I let him to dance with her first.

My parents didn’t let me attend the dance.

My parents didn’t let me to attend the dance.

Don’t let the negativity affect you.

Don’t let the negativity to affect you.

It’s important to remember that let meaning “to allow or permit” is not commonly used in the passive form. Instead, use a verb like allow.

She was let to stay up past curfew.

She was allowed to stay up past curfew.


Keep in Mind

In British English, let also means “rent.”

  • She let her flat to her friends.

The incorrect use of let + a full infinitive is a common mistake among people who are learning English. That’s why it’s a good idea to use LanguageTool as your intelligent writing assistant. This advanced text editor can correct this type of error, plus other complex grammar issues (like incorrect subject-verb agreement). It supports over 30 languages and dialects, is available as a plugin for several browsers, and has an app available for both Windows and Mac. Curious? It’s free to try!


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Examples of how to use the word “let” in a sentence. How to connect “let” with other words to make correct English sentences.

let (v): to allow something to happen or someone to do something by not doing anything to stop an action or by giving your permission

Use “let” in a sentence

I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Don’t let the kid play with knives.
Let‘s start with lesson 1.
Let me in.
Let me introduce myself.
Let‘s start the party

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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


verb (used with object), let, let·ting.

to allow or permit: If we let him escape, he’ll lead us to the boss.

to allow to pass, go, or come: The gap is too narrow to let the car through.

to grant the occupancy or use of (land, buildings, rooms, space, etc., or movable property) for rent or hire (sometimes followed by out): The family lets out their spare room in the summer for extra money.

to contract or assign for performance, usually under a contract: They let work to a local carpenter for the repairs.

to cause to; make: You must let her know the truth of your circumstances if you want to marry her.

(used in the imperative as an auxiliary expressive of a request, command, warning, suggestion, etc.): Let me see. Let us go. Just let them try it!

verb (used without object), let, let·ting.

to be rented or leased: The apartment lets for $250 per week.

noun

Verb Phrases

let down,

  1. to disappoint; fail.
  2. to betray; desert.
  3. to slacken; abate: We were too near success to let down in our efforts.
  4. to allow to descend slowly; lower.
  5. Aeronautics. (of an airplane) to descend from a higher to a lower altitude preparatory to making an approach and landing or a similar maneuver.

let in,

  1. to admit.
  2. to involve (a person) in something without their knowledge or permission: to let someone in for a loss.
  3. Also let into. to insert into the surface of (a wall or the like) as a permanent addition: to let a plaque into a wall.
  4. Also let in on. to share a secret with; permit to participate in.

let off,

  1. to release by exploding.
  2. to free from duty or responsibility; excuse.
  3. to allow to go with little or no punishment; pardon: The judge let off the youthful offender with a reprimand.

let on,

  1. to reveal one’s true feelings: She was terrified at the prospect, but didn’t let on.
  2. to pretend: They let on that they didn’t care about not being invited, but I could tell that they were hurt.

let out,

  1. to divulge; make known.
  2. to release from confinement, restraint, etc.
  3. to enlarge (a garment).
  4. to terminate; be finished; end: When does the university let out for the summer?
  5. to make (a let-out fur or pelt).

let up,

  1. to slacken; diminish; abate: This heat wave should let up by the end of the week.
  2. to cease; stop: The rain let up for a few hours.

let up on, to treat less severely; be more lenient with: He refused to let up on the boy until his grades improved.

QUIZ

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Idioms about let

    let alone,

    1. not to mention: He was too tired to walk, let alone run.
    2. Also leave alone . to refrain from annoying or interfering with.

    let be,

    1. to refrain from interference.
    2. to refrain from interfering with.

    let someone have it, Informal. to attack or assault, as by striking, shooting, or rebuking: The gunman threatened to let the teller have it if he didn’t move fast.

Origin of let

1

First recorded before 900; Middle English leten, Old English lǣtan; cognate with Dutch laten, German lassen, Old Norse lāta, Gothic lētan; akin to Greek lēdeîn “to be weary,” Latin lassus “tired”; see late

usage note for let

Let us is used in all varieties of speech and writing to introduce a suggestion or a request: Let us consider all the facts before deciding. The contracted form let’s occurs mostly in informal speech and writing: Let’s go. Let’s not think about that right now. Perhaps because let’s has come to be felt as a word in its own right rather than as the contraction of let us, it is often followed in informal speech and writing by redundant or appositional pronouns: Let’s us plan a picnic. Let’s you and I (or me ) get together tomorrow. Both Let’s you and me and Let’s you and I occur in the relaxed speech of educated speakers. The former conforms to the traditional rules of grammar; the latter, nonetheless, occurs more frequently. See also leave1.

Words nearby let

Lester, lestobiosis, lest we forget, Lésvos, lesya, let, Leta, let alone, let be, Let bygones be bygones, letch

Other definitions for let (2 of 3)


noun

(in tennis, badminton, etc.) any play that is voided and must be replayed, especially a service that hits the net and drops into the proper part of the opponent’s court.

Chiefly Law. an impediment or obstacle: to act without let or hindrance.

verb (used with object), let·ted or let, let·ting.

Archaic. to hinder, prevent, or obstruct.

Origin of let

2

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb letten, Old English lettan, derivative of læt “slow, tardy”; cognate with Old Norse letja “to hinder”; noun derivative of the verb; see also late

Other definitions for let (3 of 3)


a diminutive suffix attached to nouns (booklet; piglet; ringlet), and, by extraction from bracelet, a suffix denoting a band, piece of jewelry, or article of clothing worn on the part of the body specified by the noun (anklet; wristlet).

Origin of -let

Middle English -let, -lette<Middle French -elet, equivalent to -el (<Latin -āle, neuter of -ālis-al1 (cf. bracelet) or <Latin -ellus diminutive suffix; cf. -elle, chaplet) + -et-et

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say let?

To let someone do something or let something happen is to allow or permit it. How is let used differently from allow and permit? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Words related to let

accredit, approve, authorize, cause, certify, commission, concede, enable, endorse, give, grant, have, leave, license, make, permit, sanction, suffer, tolerate, warrant

How to use let in a sentence

  • For example, if you’re selling for a shoe brand, you might describe the shoe versus let’s say the model, if that’s the core message you’re trying to convey from the image.

  • It’s always a let down when a movie doesn’t live up to your expectations.

  • Entries in the Let’s Learn About series present a mini lesson on a topic.

  • So as long as I can convince physicians that they should prescribe this drug, then I’m going to invest in this, rather than investing in let’s say something extraordinarily risky, which has enormous potential upside from a public health standpoint.

  • So we have built an algorithm in our economy, which is clearly wrong, just like Facebook’s focus on let’s show people things that are more engaging, turned out to be wrong.

  • This entire ordeal reeks of bureaucratic overreach being bandied about in the name of “let-us-save-the-children” politics.

  • Uh, what part of last-team-to-let-Tim-Tebow-go are you not understanding, non-believers?

  • The White House just had to scratch it out with a real strategy and a never-let-go attitude.

  • The jukebox blasts “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by the 5th Dimension.

  • Beyond that, Wallace spoke openly about his struggles with depression well before we entered the let-it-all-hang-out culture.

  • Further, why not sub-let the flat to any of your own friends who can afford to give you a few guineas a week for it?

  • Mr. O’Connell was, in fact, «a middle man;» he rented extensive lands, and sub-let at a very large profit.

  • Burmans love it, and no feast is complete without it, indeed a packet of let-pet is an invitation to something festive.

  • At one place it is let-pet, or pickled tea, though the plant from which the stuff is made is not really a tea-plant.

  • All was serene and lovely on the surface, however, with many won’t-you-let-me’s and please-do-now’s on both sides.

British Dictionary definitions for let (1 of 3)


verb lets, letting or let (tr; usually takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive)

to permit; allowshe lets him roam around

(imperative or dependent imperative)

  1. used as an auxiliary to express a request, proposal, or command, or to convey a warning or threatlet’s get on; just let me catch you here again!
  2. (in mathematical or philosophical discourse) used as an auxiliary to express an assumption or hypothesislet «a» equal «b»
  3. used as an auxiliary to express resigned acceptance of the inevitablelet the worst happen
  1. to allow the occupation of (accommodation) in return for rent
  2. to assign (a contract for work)

to allow or cause the movement of (something) in a specified directionto let air out of a tyre

Irish informal to utterto let a cry

let alone

  1. (conjunction) much less; not to mentionI can’t afford wine, let alone champagne
  2. let be, leave alone or leave be to refrain from annoying or interfering withlet the poor cat alone

let loose

  1. to set free
  2. informal to make (a sound or remark) suddenlyhe let loose a hollow laugh
  3. informal to discharge (rounds) from a gun or gunsthey let loose a couple of rounds of ammunition

noun

British the act of letting property or accommodationthe majority of new lets are covered by the rent regulations

Word Origin for let

Old English lǣtan to permit; related to Gothic lētan, German lassen

British Dictionary definitions for let (2 of 3)


noun

an impediment or obstruction (esp in the phrase without let or hindrance)

tennis squash

  1. a minor infringement or obstruction of the ball, requiring a point to be replayed
  2. the point so replayed

verb lets, letting, letted or let

(tr) archaic to hinder; impede

Word Origin for let

Old English lettan to hinder, from læt late; related to Old Norse letja

British Dictionary definitions for let (3 of 3)


suffix forming nouns

small or lesserbooklet; starlet

an article of attire or ornament worn on a specified part of the bodyanklet

Word Origin for -let

from Old French -elet, from Latin -āle, neuter of adj suffix -ālis or from Latin -ellus, diminutive suffix

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with let


In addition to the idioms beginning with let

  • let alone
  • let be
  • let bygones be bygones
  • let daylight through or into
  • let down
  • let down easy
  • let down one’s hair
  • let drop
  • let fly
  • let go
  • let grass grow
  • let in on
  • let it all hang out
  • let it lay
  • let it rip
  • let me see
  • let off
  • let off steam
  • let on
  • let oneself go
  • let one’s hair down
  • let out
  • let ride
  • let sleeping dogs lie
  • let slide
  • let slip
  • let someone
  • let someone down
  • let someone have it
  • let the cat out of the bag
  • let the chips fall where they may
  • let the grass grow under one’s feet
  • let the side down
  • let up
  • let well enough alone

also see:

  • blow (let) off steam
  • give (let) someone have his or her head
  • (let someone) have it
  • live and let live

Also see underleave.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

При помощи глагола let можно внести предложение («Давай(те)…!) и призвать кого-либо к действию («Пусть…», «Позволь…», «Дай…», «Да..!»). Вне зависимости от значения let используется по схеме:

LET + объект + глагол (инфинитив без частицы ’to’)

Let people/them say what they think. — Пусть люди/они скажут, что они думают.

Let the game begin! — Да начнётся игра!

Если в роли объекта используется личное местоимение, необходимо выбирать объектную форму (I > me, you > you, he > him, she > her, it > it, we > us, they > them).

LET + объект + предлог/наречие

Let me in/outside, please. — Впусти/выпусти меня, пожалуйста.

Глагол let является неправильным, все три формы совпадают: let — let — let. Обратите внимание, let не используется в пассивном залоге. Примеры использования let:

He let me use it. — Он позволил мне воспользоваться этим. (утверждение в Past Simple)

He didn’t let me use it. — Он не дал мне этим воспользоваться. (отрицание в Past Simple)

Don’t let him use it. — Не позволяй ему этим пользоваться. (отрицание в повелительном наклонении)

Когда let используется для внесения своих предложений («Давай(те)…»), он используется как и обычный глагол let — с объектом и глаголом в начальной форме без частицы ‘to’. Чаще всего встречается сочетание let us («Давай(те) мы» = «давай(те)»), которое можно сократить до let’s:

Let us (=let’s) discuss this topic. — Давай(те) (мы) обсудим эту тему.

Отрицание имеет два варианта, первый является более распространенным:

1. Let’s not discuss it. 2. Don’t let’s discuss it. — Давай(ты) (мы) не будем обсуждать эту тему.

LET + there be

Let there be light! — Да будет свет!

Let there be no poverty! — Да не будет бедности!

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