• 14 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Spreadsheet

Every part of a spreadsheet named on one window, from a single cell to the sheet tabs.

Parts of a Spreadsheet

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Cell
  2. Column
  3. Row
  4. Active cell
  5. Cell range
  6. Column heading
  7. Row heading
  8. Fill handle
  9. Name box
  10. Formula bar
  11. Select All button
  12. Sheet tabs
  13. Scroll bars
  14. Zoom slider

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-23. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a website

All 14 parts on the diagram

Show the list

The grid 8

  1. Cell One box of the grid, where a column and a row cross.
  2. Column Cells running top to bottom, named by a letter.
  3. Row Cells running left to right, named by a number.
  4. Active cell The selected cell, with the heavy border; typing goes here.
  5. Cell range A block of cells, written first to last, as B6:D9.
  6. Column heading The letter above a column; click it to select the column.
  7. Row heading The number left of a row; click it to select the row.
  8. Fill handle Drag this corner square to copy or continue a series.

Around the grid 6

  1. Name box Shows the selected cell's reference, such as C3.
  2. Formula bar Shows and edits what is in the active cell.
  3. Select All button The corner above the row numbers; selects every cell.
  4. Sheet tabs One tab per sheet in the file; click to switch.
  5. Scroll bars Drag them to move the grid up, down or across.
  6. Zoom slider Makes the grid look bigger or smaller; nothing changes in it.

How this list was compiled: All read 2026-09-23 for the names only. (1) GCFGlobal, Excel: Getting Started and Cell Basics and Modifying Columns, Rows and Cells (GCF Learn Free, read at the iiab.live mirror, https://iiab.live/modules/en-gcf_learn_2021/edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/getting-started-with-excel/1/index.html and the cell-basics and modifying-columns-rows-and-cells pages beside it): cell, column (identified by letters), row (identified by numbers), name box, formula bar, worksheet tabs, scroll bars, zoom control, column heading, row heading, Select All button just below the name box, cell range, fill handle at the lower-right corner of the cell. (2) LibreOffice Help: Name Box (https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/02/06010000.html: the reference of the current cell or the selected range), Formula Bar (https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/main0206.html), Status Bar (https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/main0208.html: zoom), Applying Multiple Sheets (https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/guide/multitables.html: sheet tabs), Automatically Filling in Data (https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/scalc/guide/calc_series.html: drag the fill handle at the cell's bottom right corner). (3) Microsoft Support, Select cell contents in Excel, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/select-cell-contents-in-excel-23f64223-2b6b-453a-8688-248355f10fa9: active cell, row and column headings, the Select All button in the top left corner. (4) Wikipedia, Spreadsheet, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreadsheet: cells in rows and columns, A1 cell references. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-23. The window is invented; no program or brand is shown. Licence: own work

How it works

A spreadsheet is a grid of cells in lettered columns and numbered rows. Above the grid sit the name box and formula bar; below it, the sheet tabs. This window labels 14 parts.

Read the full guide

Reading a cell reference

A cell is named by its column letter, then its row number. The heavy-bordered cell here is C3, and the name box shows that reference. A range is written first cell to last, so the shaded block is B6:D9.

Quiz and print

Quiz me asks the grid first, then the parts around it. Print it blank, with lines to write on, or labeled as the key.

Questions and answers

What are the basic parts of a spreadsheet?

Cells, arranged in columns (named by letters) and rows (named by numbers). Around the grid are the name box, the formula bar, the row and column headings, the sheet tabs and the scroll bars.

What is the difference between the name box and the formula bar?

The name box shows where you are: the active cell's reference, such as C3. The formula bar shows what is in that cell, and it is where you type or edit a formula.

What is the fill handle in a spreadsheet?

The small square at the lower right corner of the active cell. Drag it to copy the cell into the cells next to it, or to continue a series such as 1, 2, 3 or Monday, Tuesday.

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