Access Left Function

Last updated: August 26, 2026.

The Left function returns a requested number of characters from the beginning of a string.

Syntax

Left(string, length)

Argument	Description
`string`	Source text
`length`	Number of characters to return from the left

Left("WebCheatSheet", 3)       ' Web
Prefix: Left([ProductCode], 2)
Initial: Left(Trim([LastName]), 1)

A negative length raises an error. A length greater than the string returns the whole string; a Null source returns Null.

See Microsoft’s Access function reference for related expression functions.