STDEV.S in ONLYOFFICE: Sample Standard Deviation

Use STDEV.S in ONLYOFFICE to estimate standard deviation from a sample, using a variance denominator of n minus one. The working example below describes delivery lead times; its result is measured in hours. The official reference supports the function’s identity and purpose.

This guide separates documentation review from application testing. The expected numbers are independently calculated, not screenshots or results captured from ONLYOFFICE.

STDEV.S(number1, [number2], ...)

Numeric inputs: individual numbers or cell ranges holding the observations. One range can contain many observations; a header is not a measurement.

Additional inputs: optional extra numeric values or ranges. Omit the square brackets shown in the syntax notation when entering a formula. The numeric-only examples avoid relying on text or logical-value conversion.

Use the sample measure when the observed records stand in for a larger process, period or population. More rows do not automatically make a data set a complete population: a thousand sampled tickets can still be a sample of a year’s activity. Write the intended population beside the result.

The output has the same measurement units as the input, which makes it easier to interpret than variance. It is not the average absolute distance from the mean, an uncertainty interval, or the standard error of the mean. The function also cannot correct selection bias or decide whether observations are sufficiently representative for your interpretation.

A team delivery register with one row per completed shipment provides the scenario. Enter the following numeric observations into A2:A9, one per row, with a header in A1. Use a spare result cell outside the input range.

Download the ONLYOFFICE STDEV.S practice data (CSV). Import it into a new, blank sheet starting at A1, with a comma as the file delimiter and the header row retained. The CSV contains input values only, not formulas or native test results. Blank spacer columns place the requested position in D2 and any additional test data in column F. Keep observations numeric rather than importing them as text.

Example 1: Measure spread in the working register

=STDEV.S(A2:A9)

Expected result: 6.41427 (displayed to six decimal places).

The numeric count is 8, the mean is 20, and the sum of squared deviations is 288. Divide by 7 (n minus one), then take the square root to return to the original measurement units.

Example 2: Check the denominator with three known numbers

=STDEV.S(2,4,6)

Expected result: 2.

The mean is 4 and the squared deviations are 4, 0 and 4, for a total of 8. The sample denominator is 2, and the square root of that variance gives standard deviation.

Example 3: Do not confuse real zeros with missing data

For this check, use F2:F5 containing 0, 0, 8, 8, in that order. These values are included in the practice file.

=STDEV.S(F2:F5)

Expected result: 4.618802 (displayed to six decimal places).

All four observations are real measurements, including both zeros. The mean is 4 and the squared deviations total 64. Excluding the zeros would leave two equal values and falsely describe this group as having no spread.

Subtract the mean from each observation and square each difference. Add the squared differences and divide by n minus one. Take the square root for standard deviation; the answer returns to the original measurement units. This mathematical definition is used to check the numbers in the examples, independently of the spreadsheet software. Keep stored results at full available precision and round only the final presentation when a report requires it. The displayed expectations above are rounded where necessary; a different number of displayed decimal places is not by itself a calculation error.

There is only one observation. Sample variance needs a denominator greater than zero, so at least two numeric observations are required. A blank report is not evidence of zero variability. Validate the numeric count first.

The result differs from a population calculation. For the same n numeric observations, sample standard deviation is population standard deviation multiplied by the square root of n/(n minus one). A different denominator is not a rounding defect.

Unexpected text or errors are mixed into the input. Review the original cells rather than assuming every application ignores the same values. Do not replace a failed calculation with zero: zero has the specific meaning that included numeric observations do not vary.

The ONLYOFFICE function page supplies the software-specific reference. Its remarks describe how different input types are handled, but this tutorial deliberately uses only finite numeric observations. Treat error values and text-coded numbers as separate cleanup questions instead of assuming that another program will handle them the same way.

In the delivery-register example, decide whether the measurement includes weekends, transit time only or the complete time from order to delivery. These are different variables even when their cells are all formatted as hours. Do not mix them in a single range and expect a dispersion or ranking formula to reconcile the definitions.

When reviewing a shared document, keep measurement cells apart from commentary and summary rows. A plain numeric range makes it easier for another editor to audit which shipments are included. The example data is deliberately small enough to check without relying on a chart.

English formulas here use commas between arguments. Follow the separator shown by your configured editor. The current help reference does not prove first-version availability or identical behaviour across every ONLYOFFICE desktop, browser and mobile build.

For the same statistical question in other programs, see STDEV.S in Microsoft Excel, STDEV.S in Google Sheets, STDEV.S in SoftMaker PlanMaker. These links identify corresponding measures, not a guarantee that names, mixed-data rules, error codes or file conversions are identical.

MEDIAN, LARGE, SMALL, RANK.EQ, STDEV.P, VAR.S, VAR.P. Browse the ONLYOFFICE function library for the other published guides.

Editorial verification: The vendor documentation was reviewed on 2026-10-12. Scope: The ONLYOFFICE spreadsheet function reference. The reviewed help does not establish the first supported version or identical desktop, browser and mobile behaviour. Three numeric examples were checked with an independent arithmetic model. No native application run was performed. Single-value population edge cases, mixed-data coercion, exact error-code parity and round-trip workbook compatibility remain untested; they are not labelled application-verified.