What is the difference between merge cell and split cell?

As it relates to tables or spreadsheet cells; merging refers to combining multiple cells into one, splitting refers to dividing a single cell into multiple cells.

Hi Mdarifsadik,

Merge cells is a feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to join many cells in a table into one cell. Say you have five rows in a table which you find not useful and you would like to convert them into a single cell which you want to use, you will simply merge the five rows into one.

You can find the merge cell in MS Word 2007 by highlighting the cells, then right click on them and choose merge cells as shown in the diagram below:

Split cells on the other hand is a feature that will allow you to divide a single column or row into more rows especially if you would like to fix some data in between the existing rows or columns. Just like the merge cells feature, to split a row or column into many more, right click on the row or column where you want to place the additional cells, and then choose split cells as shown in the diagram below:

Hope this helps.

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Regards,

Lee Hung.

Hello Mdarifsadik,

I would like to share with you the difference between the merge cells and split cells in word. Merge cells is the act of combining two or more cells in a given column or row and making the team appear just as a single cell. This is mostly used when you want to make a given column or row a single cell. The procedure to merge cells is simple.

• Select the row or column for which cells you want to merge.
• Click the table menu and select Merge cells.
• Split cells are the exact opposite of merge cells. This allows you to split into more than one column previously merged cells.
• The procedure to split previously merged cells is simple too.
• Select the cells you want to split.
• Right click and choose Split cells.
• Specify on the number of columns and rows and click ok.

Merge Cell means combining two or more cells into one large cell that displays the contents of the first cell and Split Cell shows distributed cells' contents into adjacent cells.

The below content described How to Merge Cells

Merge Cells

1. Select the last column.
2. This is the one you just moved.                                                                                                     
3. Right click on the selection.
   The context menu for tables appears. The commands listed vary, depending on what is selected.
    
4. Click on the command Merge Cells.

   The contents of all three cells become separate paragraphs in the combined cell. The cell background is the same as the top cell in the column, but the paragraphs kept their own text formatting. Is this getting complicated??

5.  Save.
   [table3-Firstname-Lastname.docx]

The below content described How to Split Cells

Split Cells

1. While the column is still selected, right click on the selection.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
2. The context menu appears again, with different choices.
    
3. Click the command Split Cells.
   The Split Cells dialog appears. You must choose how many rows and columns you want to split the cell.
    
4. In the Cells Split dialog, set:
       columns = 1
       rows =         3
   Merge cells before split: checked
    
5. Click on OK to close the dialog.
   

                                                                                                                                           

6. You are back to three cells in the last column.
   But, the previously merged text stayed in the top cell and the row height for the first row increased to hold the three paragraphs. 

   So, Split Cells is not at all the same as undoing the merge.

7.  Save. [table3-Firstname-Lastname.docx]