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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(201.6, 13%, 29%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EPB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Excel just started doing this: Expanding the space between the letters when I'm typing in Excel. (Notice the exaggerated space between the "S" and the "L"). When I press Enter, the spacing is corrected, but when I'm editing a cell, or typing in the formula bar I get this distracting spacing. I'm guessing this is a "feature" not a "bug", so someone give me the skinny. Why is it there in the first place? Can I turn it off?
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(60.8, 63%, 15%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EC%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Setting the default font under Options > General and restarting Excel fixed the weird kerning in the formula bar for me.
I have a few other suggestions you can try if above doesn't work.
This was introduced a few months ago. The Excel formula bar now uses a fixed-width font while you're editing. Unfortunately, you cannot turn it off.
This was done because many users now create multi-line formulas (especially if they involve LET and LAMBDA). Using a fixed-width font lets you align the text in different lines.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(243.2, 98%, 33%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ETN%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I just got this along with the new theme update (on the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel). If you look at the screenshot in the OP, the font is clearly not fixed-with, it is just weirdly variable-width.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(41.6, 74%, 14%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDC%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Except the fonts with the weird kerning are NOT fixed-width. If I use multiple lines the characters do not line up. There is something else weird going on.