What function would you use to count the number of cells that contain numbers?

The COUNT function is specifically designed to count the number of cells in a range that contain numeric values. This function is very useful when you need to determine how many entries in a dataset are numeric, which can help in various analytical tasks, such as summarizing or validating data.

It specifically counts only cells with numbers, excluding any text, blank cells, or logical values (true/false), making it precise for numerical analysis. For example, if you applied COUNT to a range of cells containing both numbers and text, only the numeric cells would be included in the count.

In contrast, other functions mentioned serve different purposes: NUMCOUNT is not an actual function in Excel, TALLY does not exist in Excel terminology, and COUNTA counts all non-empty cells regardless of the content type—be it text, numbers, or errors—making it less specific for counting solely numeric values. This distinction is what makes the COUNT function the correct choice for counting cells that contain numbers.