How to Check NaN in JavaScript

Checking if a value is NaN in JavaScript can be tricky. This is because you can’t use the typeof operator since the type of NaN is surprisingly number.

// This will return "number" as a type
typeof NaN

You also can’t do value === NaN since NaN is not equal to itself. But since it does not equal to itself, we can check the value against itself: value !== value.

// We can't do triple equal either since NaN is not equal to itself
value === NaN // retun false
NaN === NaN   // return false

// If the value is not equal to itself, we can be sure it is NaN
value !== value

We can also use the new Number.isNaN() function introduced in ES6:

Number.isNaN(value);

50 JavaScript Interview QuestionsAnd their answers explainedHere are 50 JavaScript interview questions that often come up during a technical interview. In one place, one resource to learn from.Learn More

Get access to 300+ webtips 💌

Level up your skills and master the art of frontend development with bite-sized tutorials.

We don't spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Get Access to Webtips

---

Resources:

• The isNaN function in JavaScript