# How to check if a variable is a string in JavaScript

By Atta Ur Rehman Shah (https://attacomsian.com/about). Published Sep 18, 2022. Topics: JavaScript.
Canonical URL: https://attacomsian.com/blog/javascript-check-if-variable-is-string

> Learn how to use the typeof operator to determine if a variable is a string in JavaScript.

To check if a variable is a string in JavaScript, use the `typeof` operator, e.g. `typeof a === 'string'`. If the `typeof` operator returns `"string"`, then the variable is a string. For all other values, the variable is not a string.

```javascript
let name = 'Atta'

if (typeof name === 'string') {
  console.log(`Variable is a string`)
} else {
  console.log(`Variable is NOT a string`)
}

// Output => Variable is a string
```

In the above example, we used the `typeof` operator to check if a variable is a string. 

The `typeof` operator returns a string indicating the type of the given value. Here are a few more examples:

```javascript
console.log(typeof 'john')          // "string"
console.log(typeof '4')             // "string"
console.log(typeof true)            // "boolean"
console.log(typeof [])              // "object"
console.log(typeof {})              // "object"
console.log(typeof 5)               // "number"
console.log(typeof null)            // "object"
console.log(typeof (() => {}))      // "function"
```

Unlike the other operators, the `typeof` operator does not throw a `ReferenceError` exception when used with a variable that is not declared:

```javascript
if (typeof price === 'string') {
  console.log(`Variable is a string`)
} else {
  console.log(`Variable is NOT a string`)
}

// Output => Variable is NOT a string
```