ill in the blank: The spreadsheet function _____ returns the number of cells within a range that match a specified value.1 pointCOUNTIFCOUNT DISTINCTARRAYVALUE

The correct answer is COUNTIF.

Explanation:

The COUNTIF function in spreadsheets is specifically designed to count the number of cells in a specified range that meet a certain condition. This makes it a powerful tool for analyzing datasets where you need to quantify occurrences of specific values.

For instance, if you have a column of data listing different fruits and want to know how many times "apple" appears in that column, you would use the COUNTIF function. The syntax for this function is as follows:

$\text{COUNTIF(range, criteria)}$

Where "range" refers to the group of cells you are examining, and "criteria" refers to the value or condition you're interested in counting. This function is particularly useful in data analysis and reporting in spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

In contrast, other options such as "COUNT DISTINCT" or "ARRAYVALUE" do not apply to counting matches in this specific context. Therefore, the most accurate choice to fill in the blank is COUNTIF.