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{{short description|Numerical symbol}} {{Short description|Numerical symbol}}
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{{For|the proper choice style of the decimal separator in English-language Misplaced Pages articles|Misplaced Pages:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Decimal points|selfref=true}}
{{Redirect|Decimal period|the length of the repeating sequence in the decimal expansion of a rational number|Repeating decimal}} {{Redirect|Decimal period|the period of a repeating decimal fraction|Repeating decimal}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{Numeral systems}} {{Numeral systems}}
] and a ] are generally accepted decimal separators for international use.]]
]
A '''decimal separator''' is a symbol used to separate the ] part from the ] part of a ] written in ] form (e.g., "." in 12.45). Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator. The choice of symbol also affects the choice of symbol for the ] used in digit grouping.


] and a ] (or period) are generally accepted decimal separators for international use. The ] and Arabic decimal separator are also used in certain contexts.]]
Any such symbol can be called a '''decimal mark''', '''decimal marker''' or '''decimal sign'''. Symbol-specific names are also used; '''decimal point''' and '''decimal comma''' refer to an (either ] or ]) dot and ] respectively, when it is used as a decimal separator; these are the usual terms used in English,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-01|title=Compendium of Mathematical Symbols|url=https://mathvault.ca/hub/higher-math/math-symbols/|access-date=2020-08-22|website=Math Vault|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/decimal-point|title=Decimal point definition and meaning {{!}} Collins English Dictionary|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en|access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Weisstein|first=Eric W.|title=Decimal Point|url=https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DecimalPoint.html|access-date=2020-08-22|website=mathworld.wolfram.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decimal-point|title=decimal point Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary|website=dictionary.cambridge.org|language=en|access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref> with the aforementioned generic terms reserved for abstract usage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/245510/how-to-change-excels-decimal-separators-from-periods-to-commas/|title=How to Change Excel's Decimal Separators from Periods to Commas|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smartickmethod.com/blog/math/learning-resources/decimal-separators/|title=Decimal Separators: Points or commas? - Elementary Math|date=2018-01-19|work=Elementary Math|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Thousands separators.gif|thumb|Three ways to group the number ten thousand with digit group separators: {{blist
| ], the internationally recommended thousands separator.
| ] (or period), the thousands separator used in many non-English speaking countries.
| ], the thousands separator used in most English-speaking countries.
}}]]


A '''decimal separator''' is a symbol that separates the ] part from the ] of a ] written in ] form. Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator. The choice of symbol also affects the choice of symbol for the ] used in digit grouping.
In many contexts, when a number is spoken, the function of the separator is assumed by the spoken name of the symbol: ''comma'' or ''point'' in most cases.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of Decimal Point|url=https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/decimal-point.html|access-date=2020-08-22|website=www.mathsisfun.com}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/02/decimal-point.html|title=Mythematics: a decimal point|date=2012-02-17|work=Grammarphobia|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en-US}}</ref> In some specialized contexts, the word ''decimal'' is instead used for this purpose (such as in ]-regulated ] communications). In mathematics, the decimal separator is a type of ], a term that also applies to number systems with bases other than ten.

Any such symbol can be called a '''decimal mark''', '''decimal marker''', or '''decimal sign'''. Symbol-specific names are also used; '''decimal point''' and '''decimal comma''' refer to a dot (either ] or ]) and ] respectively, when it is used as a decimal separator; these are the usual terms used in English,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/decimal-point|title=Decimal point definition and meaning {{!}} Collins English Dictionary|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en|access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Weisstein|first=Eric W.|title=Decimal Point|url=https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DecimalPoint.html|access-date=2020-08-22|website=mathworld.wolfram.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decimal-point|title=decimal point Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary|website=dictionary.cambridge.org|language=en|access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref> with the aforementioned generic terms reserved for abstract usage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/245510/how-to-change-excels-decimal-separators-from-periods-to-commas/|title=How to Change Excel's Decimal Separators from Periods to Commas|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smartickmethod.com/blog/math/learning-resources/decimal-separators/|title=Decimal Separators: Points or commas? - Elementary Math|date=2018-01-19|work=Elementary Math|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en}}</ref>

In many contexts, when a number is spoken, the function of the separator is assumed by the spoken name of the symbol: ''comma'' or ''point'' in most cases.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of Decimal Point|url=https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/decimal-point.html|access-date=2020-08-22|website=www.mathsisfun.com}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/02/decimal-point.html|title=Mythematics: a decimal point|date=2012-02-17|work=Grammarphobia|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en-US}}</ref> In some specialized contexts, the word ''decimal'' is instead used for this purpose (such as in ]-regulated ] communications). In mathematics, the decimal separator is a type of ], a term that also applies to number systems with bases other than ten.


==History== ==History==
===Hellenistic–Renaissance eras===
{{anchor|Separatrix|Pythagorean arc}} {{anchor|Separatrix|Pythagorean arc}}
In the ], before printing, a ] ( ¯ ) over the ] was used to separate the integral part of a number from its ], as in 9{{overline|9}}95 (meaning 99.95 in decimal point format). A similar notation remains in common use as an underbar to superscript digits, especially for monetary values without a decimal separator, as in 99<sup>95</sup>. Later, a "separatrix" (i.e., a short, roughly vertical ink stroke) between the units and tenths position became the norm among ] (e.g. 99'''ˌ'''95), while an L-shaped or ] ({{!}}) served as the separatrix in England.<ref>{{citation |title=Oxford English Dictionary |contribution=separatrix, ''n.'' |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> When this character was ], it was convenient to use the existing ] (99''','''95) or ] (99'''.'''95) instead. In the ], before printing, a ] ( ¯ ) over the ] was used to separate the integral part of a number from its ], as in 9{{overline|9}}95 (meaning 99.95 in ] point format). A similar notation remains in common use as an underbar to superscript digits, especially for monetary values without a decimal separator, as in 99<sup>{{underline|95}}</sup>. Later, a "separatrix" (i.e., a short, roughly vertical ink stroke) between the units and tenths position became the norm among ] (e.g. 99'''ˌ'''95), while an L-shaped or ] ({{!}}) served as the separatrix in England.<ref>{{cite dictionary |dictionary=Oxford English Dictionary |title=separatrix, ''n.'' |place=Oxford, UK |publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> When this character was ], it was convenient to use the existing ] (99''','''95) or ] (99'''.'''95) instead.


Positional ]s appear for the first time in a book by the Arab mathematician ] written in the 10th century.<ref name=Berggren>{{cite book | first=J. Lennart | last=Berggren | title=The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook | chapter=Mathematics in Medieval Islam |editor-first=Victor J.|editor-last=Katz|publisher=Princeton University Press | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-691-11485-9 | page=530 }}</ref> The practice is ultimately derived from the decimal ] used in ],<ref>Reimer, L., and Reimer, W. ''Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 2''. 1995. pp. 22-22. Parsippany, NJ: Pearson ducation, Inc. as Dale Seymor Publications. {{ISBN|0-86651-823-1}}.</ref> and popularized by the ] mathematician ],<ref>, Oxford Islamic Studies Online</ref> when ] translation of ] on the ] introduced the ] ] to the Western world. His '']'' presented the first systematic solution of ] and ]s in Arabic. Positional ]s appear for the first time in a book by the Arab mathematician ] written in the 10th century.<ref name=Berggren>{{cite book |first=J. Lennart |last=Berggren |year=2007 |chapter=Mathematics in Medieval Islam |editor-first=Victor J. |editor-last=Katz |title=The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A sourcebook |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-11485-9 |page=530 }}</ref> The practice is ultimately derived from the decimal ] used in ],<ref>{{cite book |author1=Reimer, L. |author2=Reimer, W. |title=Mathematicians are People, too: Stories from the lives of great mathematicians |volume=2 |year=1995 |pages=22 |place=Parsippany, NJ |publisher=Pearson Education, / Dale Seymor Publications |isbn=0-86651-823-1}}</ref> and popularized by the ] mathematician ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1305 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618081123/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1305 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2013 |title=Khwarizmi, Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa al- |type=biography |website=Oxford Islamic Studies Online}}</ref> when ] translation of ] on the ] introduced the decimal ] to the Western world. His '']'' presented the first systematic solution of ] and ]s in Arabic.


] marked triples of columns with an arc (called a "Pythagorean arc"), when using his Hindu–Arabic numeral-based abacus in the 10th&nbsp;century. ] followed this convention when writing numbers, such as in his influential work '']'' in the 13th&nbsp;century.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution |last=Devlin |first=Keith |year=2011 |publisher=Walker & Company |location=New York |isbn=9780802779083 |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/manofnumbersfibo0000devl|url-access=registration }}</ref> Tables of ]s prepared by ] in 1614 and 1619 used the period (full stop) as the decimal separator, which was then adopted by ] in his influential 17th&nbsp;century work. ] marked triples of columns with an arc (called a "Pythagorean arc"), when using his Hindu–Arabic numeral-based abacus in the 10th&nbsp;century. ] followed this convention when writing numbers, such as in his influential work {{lang|la|]}} in the 13th&nbsp;century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Devlin |first=Keith |year=2011 |title=The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution |publisher=Walker & Company |place=New York, NY |isbn=9780802779083 |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/manofnumbersfibo0000devl |url-access=registration }}</ref>


The earliest known record of using the decimal point is in the astronomical tables compiled by the Italian merchant and mathematician ] in the 1440s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marchant |first=Jo |date=2024-02-19 |title=The decimal point is 150 years older than historians thought |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00473-2 |journal=Nature |language=en |doi=10.1038/d41586-024-00473-2|pmid=38374392 }}</ref>{{contradict-inline|History of mathematical notation#Indian and Arabic numerals and notation}}
In ], the full stop was already in use in printing to make ] more readable, so the comma was chosen.<ref name="ReferenceA">Enciclopedia Universal Santillana, 1996 by SANTILLANA S.A., Barcelona, Spain. {{ISBN|84-294-5129-3}}. Comma, def.2: "coma: MAT. Signo utilizado en los números no enteros para separar la parte entera de la parte decimal o fraccionaria; p.ej., 2,123."</ref> Many other countries, such as Italy, also chose to use the comma to mark the decimal units position.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> It has been ] by the ] for international blueprints.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|title=ISO 80000-2:2009|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=31887|publisher=]|access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref> However, English-speaking countries took the comma to separate sequences of three digits. In some countries, a raised dot or dash (''{{visible anchor|upper comma}}'') may be used for grouping or decimal separator; this is particularly common in handwriting.


Tables of ]s prepared by ] in 1614 and 1619 used the period (full stop) as the decimal separator, which was then adopted by ] in his influential 17th century work.
In the ], the full stop or period (.) was used as the standard decimal separator.


In ], the full stop was already in use in printing to make ] more readable, so the comma was chosen.<ref name=Santillana-1996>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia Universal Santillana |year=1996 |publisher=Santillana S.A. |place=Barcelona, Spain |isbn=84-294-5129-3 |title=Comma |at=def.&nbsp;2 |quote=coma: MAT. Signo utilizado en los números no enteros para separar la parte entera de la parte decimal o fraccionaria; p.&nbsp;ej., {{nobr| 2,123 .}} }}</ref>
] (·) used as a decimal separator in a British print from 1839<ref>{{cite journal |author=Thomas Henderson |title=On the Parallax of α Centauri|volume=11|pages=61|periodical=Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 11, P. 64 |date=1839-01-03 |language=en|bibcode=1840MmRAS..11...61H}} – Scan published by ]</ref>]]
In the nations of the ] (and, later, the ]), the full stop could be used in typewritten material and its use was not banned, although the ] (a.k.a. decimal point, point or mid dot) was preferred as a decimal separator, in printing technologies that could accommodate it, e.g. 99·95.<ref>Reimer, L., and Reimer, W. ''Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 1''. 1990 p. 41. Parsippany, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. as Dale Seymor Publications. {{ISBN|0-86651-509-7}}.</ref> However, as the mid dot was already in common use in the mathematics world to indicate multiplication, the ] rejected its use as the decimal separator.


Many other countries, such as Italy, also chose to use the comma to mark the decimal units position.<ref name=Santillana-1996/> It has been ] by the ] for international blueprints.<ref>{{cite report |title=Quantities and units |section=Part&nbsp;2: Mathematical signs and symbols to be used in the natural sciences and technology |id=ISO 80000-2:2009 |year=2009 |publisher=] |section-url=http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=31887 |access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref> However, English-speaking countries took the comma to separate sequences of three digits. In some countries, a raised dot or dash (''{{visible anchor|upper comma}}'') may be used for grouping or decimal separator; this is particularly common in handwriting.
During the beginning of British ] in the late 1960s and with impending currency ], there was some debate in the United Kingdom as to whether the decimal comma or decimal point should be preferred: the ] and some sectors of industry advocated the comma and the ] advocated for the point. In the event, the point was chosen by the ] in 1968.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1038/218111c0| title = Victory on Points| journal = Nature| volume = 218| issue = 5137| page = 111| year = 1968| bibcode = 1968Natur.218S.111.| doi-access = free}}</ref>


===English-speaking countries===
When ] ], it adopted the comma as its decimal separator,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://laws.parliament.na/cms_documents/gg-4326-a7726e51e7.pdf |title=Government Notice R. 1144, ''Government Gazette'' 4326 |date=5 July 1974 |page=55}}</ref> although a number of house styles, including some English-language newspapers such as ''The Sunday Times'', continue to use the full stop.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
In the ], the full stop or period (.) is used as the standard decimal separator.


] (·) used as a decimal separator in a British print from 1839<ref>for example: {{cite journal |author=Henderson, Thomas |date=1839-01-03 |title=On the parallax of {{mvar|α}}&nbsp;Centauri |journal=] |volume=11 |pages=61–64, esp.&nbsp;64 |bibcode=1840MmRAS..11...61H |via=scan published by ] }}</ref>]]
The three most spoken ]s, ], ], and ], all use the comma as the decimal separator. Interlingua has used the comma as its decimal separator since the publication of the ] in 1951.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/parts_of_speech/numerals.html |title=Grammar of Interlingua: Parts of Speech – Numerals |access-date=2008-03-18 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160516201404/http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/parts_of_speech/numerals.html |archive-date=2016-05-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Esperanto also uses the comma as its official decimal separator, while thousands are separated by ]s: {{nowrap|''12 345 678,9''}}. Ido's ''Kompleta Gramatiko Detaloza di la Linguo Internaciona Ido'' (Complete Detailed Grammar of the International Language Ido) officially states that commas are used for the decimal separator while full stops are used to separate thousands, millions, etc. So the number 12,345,678.90123 (in American notation) for instance, would be written ''12.345.678,90123'' in Ido. The 1931 grammar of ] by ] uses the comma as its decimal separator, and—somewhat unusually—uses the middle dot as the thousands separator (12·345·678,90123).<ref> {{ISBN|978-1-904808-94-7}}</ref>
In the nations of the ] (and, later, the ]), the full stop could be used in typewritten material and its use was not banned, although the ] (a.k.a. decimal point, point or mid dot) was preferred as a decimal separator, in printing technologies that could accommodate it, e.g. {{nobr| 99·95 .}}<ref>{{cite book |author1=Reimer, L. |author2=Reimer, W. |year=1990 |title=Mathematicians are People, too: Stories from the lives of great mathematicians |volume=1 |page=41 |place=Parsippany, NJ |publisher=Pearson Education / Dale Seymor Publications |isbn=0-86651-509-7}}</ref> However, as the mid dot was already in common use in the mathematics world to indicate multiplication, the ] rejected its use as the decimal separator.


During the beginning of British ] in the late 1960s and with impending currency ], there was some debate in the United Kingdom as to whether the decimal comma or decimal point should be preferred: the ] and some sectors of industry advocated the comma and the ] advocated for the point. In the event, the point was chosen by the ] in 1968.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Victory on points | year = 1968 | journal = Nature | volume = 218 | issue = 5137 | page = 111 | bibcode = 1968Natur.218S.111. | doi = 10.1038/218111c0 | doi-access = free}}</ref>
In 1958, disputes between European and American delegates over the correct representation of the decimal separator nearly stalled the development of the ] computer programming language.<ref>Perlis, Alan, ''The American Side of the Development of ALGOL'', ACM SIGPLAN Notices, August 1978.</ref> ALGOL ended up allowing different decimal separators, but most computer languages and standard data formats (e.g., ], ], ], ]) specify a dot.


] ]
When South Africa ], it adopted the comma as its decimal separator,<ref>{{cite periodical |title=Government Notice R.&nbsp;1144 |periodical=Government Gazette |issue=4326 |date=5 July 1974 |page=55 |url=https://laws.parliament.na/cms_documents/gg-4326-a7726e51e7.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308203659/https://laws.parliament.na/cms_documents/gg-4326-a7726e51e7.pdf |archive-date=8 March 2021 }}</ref> although a number of house styles, including some English-language newspapers such as '']'', continue to use the full stop.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}


Previously, signs along ] roads expressed distances in decimal numbers with the decimal part in superscript, as in 3<sup><u>7</u></sup>, meaning 3.7.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tenths To Fractions|author=AndyMax25|work=AARoads|date=May 1, 2015|access-date=July 7, 2019|url=https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=48959587c2d49efd64618519aca76fe4&topic=15418.msg2061534#msg2061534}}</ref> Though California has since transitioned to ]s with ]s, the older style remains on ] markers and bridge inventory markers. Previously, signs along ] roads expressed distances in decimal numbers with the decimal part in superscript, as in 3<sup><u>7</u></sup>, meaning 3.7.{{cn|date=November 2024}} Though California has since transitioned to ]s with ]s, the older style remains on ] markers and bridge inventory markers.

===Constructed languages===
The three most spoken ]s, ], ], and ], all use the comma as the decimal separator.

Interlingua has used the comma as its decimal separator since the publication of the ] in 1951.<ref>{{cite web |series=Grammar of Interlingua |title=Parts of Speech – Numerals |url=http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/parts_of_speech/numerals.html |access-date=2008-03-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160516201404/http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/parts_of_speech/numerals.html |archive-date=2016-05-16}}</ref>

Esperanto also uses the comma as its official decimal separator, whilst thousands are usually separated by ]s (e.g. {{nobr|12 345 678,9}}). It is possible to separate thousands by a ] (e.g. {{nobr|12.345.678,9}}), though this is not as common.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wennergren |first1=Bertilo |title=Plena Manlibro de Esperanta Gramatiko |trans-title=Complete Manual of Esperanto Grammar |chapter=Helposignoj |trans-chapter=Helping Symbols |edition=15.4 |url=https://bertilow.com/pmeg/ |chapter-url=https://bertilow.com/pmeg/skribo_elparolo/skribo/helposignoj.html |date=5 July 2023 |lang=Esperanto}}</ref>

Ido's ''Kompleta Gramatiko Detaloza di la Linguo Internaciona Ido'' (Complete Detailed Grammar of the International Language Ido) officially states that commas are used for the decimal separator whilst full stops are used to separate thousands, millions, etc. So the number 12,345,678.90123 (in American notation), for instance, would be written ''12.345.678,90123'' in Ido.

The 1931 grammar of ] uses the comma as its decimal separator but, somewhat unusually, the middle dot as its thousands separator (12·345·678,90123).<ref>{{cite book |author=de&nbsp;Jong, Arie |author-link=Arie de Jong |year=2012 |title=Gramat Volapüka. Cathair na Mart |editor=Everson, Michael |publisher=Evertype |isbn=978-1-904808-94-7 |url=http://evertype.com/books/dejong-gramat.html}}</ref>

In 1958, disputes between European and American delegates over the correct representation of the decimal separator nearly stalled the development of the ] computer programming language.<ref>Perlis, Alan, ''The American Side of the Development of ALGOL'', ACM SIGPLAN Notices, August 1978.</ref> ALGOL ended up allowing different decimal separators, but most computer languages and standard data formats (e.g., ], ], ], ]) specify a dot. ] and a couple of others permit a quote (') as thousands separator, and many others like Python and Julia, (only) allow ‘_’ as such a separator (it's usually ignored, i.e. also allows 1_00_00_000 aligning with the Indian number style of 1,00,00,000 that would be 10,000,000 in the US).

=== Radix point ===
In ] and ], a '''radix point''' or '''radix character''' is a symbol used in the display of numbers to separate the ] part of the value from its ]. In ] and many other languages (including many that are written right-to-left), the integer part is at the left of the radix point, and the fraction part at the right of it.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Van Verth |first1=James M. |last2=Bishop |first2=Lars M. |year=2008 |title=Essential Mathematics for Games and Interactive Applications: A programmers' guide |edition=2nd |place=Boca Raton, FL |publisher=CRC Press |page=7 |isbn=9780123742971 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zkEY9RIm4WkC&pg=PA7}}</ref>

A radix point is most often used in ] (base 10) notation, when it is more commonly called the ] (the prefix ] implying ]). In ], the decimal point is usually a small dot (.) placed either on the baseline, or halfway between the baseline and the top of the ] ('''·''')<ref name=oracle>{{cite report |title=International Language Environments Guide |url=https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115042427/https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html|archive-date=2012-01-15 |access-date=2018-12-19 |website=] |df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{efn|name=oracle_quote|Great Britain and the United States are two of the few places in the world that use a period to indicate the decimal place. Many other countries use a comma instead. The decimal separator is also called the ''radix'' character. Likewise, while the U.K. and U.S. use a comma to separate groups of thousands, many other countries use a period instead...<ref name=oracle/>}}
In many other countries, the radix point is a comma (,) placed on the baseline.<ref name=oracle/>{{efn|name=oracle_quote}}

These conventions are generally used both in machine displays (], ]s) and in ]. It is important to know which notation is being used when working in different software programs. The respective ] defines both the comma and the small dot as decimal markers, but does not explicitly define universal radix marks for bases other than 10.

Fractional numbers are rarely displayed in other ], but, when they are, a radix character may be used for the same purpose. When used with the ] (]) representation, it may be called "binary point".


==Current standards== ==Current standards==
The 22nd ]<ref name=CGPM-22nd-R10/> declared in 2003, “The symbol for the decimal marker shall be either the point on the line or the comma on the line.” It further reaffirmed,
The 22nd ] declared in 2003 that "the symbol for the decimal marker shall be either the point on the line or the comma on the line". It further reaffirmed that "numbers may be divided in groups of three in order to facilitate reading; neither dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between groups"<ref>, Resolution 10.</ref> (e.g.{{nbsp}}{{val|1000000000}}). This usage has therefore been recommended by technical organizations, such as the United States' ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf#10.5.2 |title=Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) |page=37 |first=Ambler |last=Thompson |first2=Barry N. |last2=Taylor |date=March 2008 |publisher=] |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>
: “Numbers may be divided in groups of three in order to facilitate reading; neither dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between groups”<ref name=CGPM-22nd-R10>
{{cite conference
|title=Resolution&nbsp;10
|conference=22nd ] (CGPM)
|year=2003
|publisher=Bureau International des Poids et Measures
|url=https://www.bipm.org/en/committees/cg/cgpm/22-2003/resolution-10
|access-date=2022-01-21
}}
</ref>
({{nobr|1&thinsp;000&thinsp;000&thinsp;000}} for example).<ref name=CGPM-22nd-R10/> This use has therefore been recommended by technical organizations, such as the United States’ ].<ref>{{cite report |first1=Ambler |last1=Thompson |first2=Barry N. |last2=Taylor |date=March 2008 |title=Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) |at=§10.5.3 |publisher=] |url=https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf#10.5.3 |access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref>


Past versions of ], but not the 2019 revision, also stipulated normative notation based on SI conventions, adding that the comma is preferred over the full stop.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/ISO-FDIS-8601.pdf |title=ISO/FDIS 8601:2000(E) Data elements and interchange formats — Information interchange Representation of dates and times: section 5.3.1.3 |page=15 |date=2000 |publisher=] |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref> Past versions of ], but not the 2019 revision, also stipulated normative notation based on SI conventions, adding that the comma is preferred over the full stop.<ref>{{cite report |id=ISO/FDIS 8601:2000(E) |title=Data elements and interchange formats — Information interchange |section=§5.3.1.3 – Representation of dates and times |page=15 |date=2000 |publisher=] |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/ISO-FDIS-8601.pdf |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref>


] stipulates that "The decimal sign is either a comma or a point on the line." The standard does not stipulate any preference, observing that usage will depend on customary usage in the language concerned, but adds a note that as per ISO/IEC Directives all ISO standards should use the decimal comma. ] stipulates, “The decimal sign is either a comma or a point on the line. The standard does not stipulate any preference, observing that usage will depend on customary usage in the language concerned, but adds a note that as per ISO/IEC directives, all ISO standards should use the comma as the decimal marker.


==Digit grouping== ==Digit grouping==
<!-- Courtesy note per ]: Several redirects link here. (Generally those with "separator" or "thousands" in their titles.) Please check with What Links here before renaming. See also ]. --> <!-- Courtesy note per ]: Several redirects link here. (Generally those with "separator" or "thousands" in their titles.) Please check with What Links here before renaming, leaving a hidden ] to avoid breaking incoming links. See also ]. -->


For ease of reading, numbers with many digits may be divided into groups using a ],<ref name="AMA10p793">{{Cite book |last=Iverson |first=Cheryl, et al. (eds) |title=AMA Manual of Style |edition=10th |publisher=] |location=Oxford, Oxfordshire |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-517633-9 |page= |url=https://archive.org/details/amamanualofstyle0000unse/page/793 }}</ref> such as comma "," or dot ".", half-space "&thinsp;", space "&nbsp;", underbar "_" (as in maritime "21_450") or apostrophe «'»<!-- f.e. in Switzerland -->. In some countries, these "digit group separators" are only employed to the left of the decimal separator; in others, they are also used to separate numbers with a long ]. An important reason for grouping is that it allows rapid judgement of the number of digits, via ] (telling at a glance) rather than counting (contrast, for example, {{val|100000000}} with 100000000 for one hundred million). For ease of reading, numbers with many digits (e.g. numbers over 999) may be divided into groups using a ],<ref name="AMA10p793">{{cite book |last=Iverson |first=Cheryl |display-authors=etal |year=2007 |title=AMA Manual of Style |edition=10th |publisher=] |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-517633-9 |page=793 |url=https://archive.org/details/amamanualofstyle0000unse/page/793 }}</ref> such as comma "," or dot ".", half-space (or ]) {{nobr|"&thinsp;",}} ] {{nobr|"&nbsp;"}}, underscore "_" (as in maritime "21_450") or apostrophe «'»<!-- f.e. in Switzerland -->. In some countries, these "digit group separators" are only employed to the left of the decimal separator; in others, they are also used to separate numbers with a long ]. An important reason for grouping is that it allows rapid judgement of the number of digits, via telling at a glance ("]") rather than counting (contrast, for example, {{nobr|100&thinsp;000&thinsp;000}} with 100000000 for one hundred million).


The use of ] as separators,<ref name="SIBrochure">{{SIbrochure8th}}</ref>{{rp|page=133}} not dots or commas (for example: {{nobr|20&thinsp;000}} and {{nobr|1&thinsp;000&thinsp;000}} for "twenty thousand" and "one million"), has been official policy of the ] since 1948 (and reaffirmed in 2003) stating
Since 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bipm.org/jsp/en/ViewCGPMResolution.jsp?CGPM=22&RES=10 |title=Resolution 10 of the 22nd CGPM |publisher=BIPM |access-date=2019-05-01}}</ref> the use of spaces as separators (for example: {{val|20000}} and {{val|1000000}} for "twenty thousand" and "one million") has been officially endorsed by ],<ref name="nist.gov">{{cite web |url=https://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2006_1122.htm#decimal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171543/https://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2006_1122.htm#decimal |archive-date=2016-03-03 |title=Decimals Score a Point on International Standards |date=2006-11-22 |access-date=2008-11-27}}</ref> as well as by the ] and the ] (IUPAC),<ref name="BIPM">]. "Rules and style conventions for expressing values of quantities": "".</ref><ref name="old.iupac.org">{{cite web|url=http://old.iupac.org/reports/provisional/guidelines.html |title=Guidelines for drafting IUPAC technical reports and recommendations |year=2007 |access-date=2008-11-27}}</ref> the ]'s widely followed '']'', and the ], among others.
: "neither dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between groups",<ref name=CGPM-22nd-R10/>


as well as of the ] (IUPAC),<ref name="BIPM">{{cite report |publisher=] |title=Rules and style conventions for expressing values of quantities |url=https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-chapter-10-more-printing-and-using-symbols-and-numbers}}</ref><ref name="old.iupac.org">{{cite report |title=Guidelines for drafting IUPAC technical reports and recommendations |year=2007 |url=http://old.iupac.org/reports/provisional/guidelines.html |access-date=2008-11-27}}</ref> the ]'s widely followed '']'', and the ], among others.
The groups created by the delimiters tend to follow the use of the local language, which varies. In European languages, large numbers are read in groups of thousands, and the delimiter—which occurs every three digits when it is used—may be called a "thousands separator". In ]s, particularly ], ], and ], large numbers are read in groups of ]s (10,000s) but the delimiter commonly separates every three digits.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}<!--see talk page--> The ] is somewhat more complex: it groups the rightmost three digits together (till the hundreds place) and thereafter groups by sets of two digits. For example, one trillion would thus be written as 10,00,00,00,00,000 or 10 ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/tr35-numbers.html#Special_Pattern_Characters|title=UNICODE LOCALE DATA MARKUP LANGUAGE (LDML) PART 3: NUMBERS|last=Emmons|first=John|date=2018-03-25|website=Unicode.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725183458/https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/tr35-numbers.html#Special_Pattern_Characters|archive-date=2018-07-25|url-status=live|access-date=2018-03-25}}</ref>


The groups created by the delimiters tend to follow the usages of local languages, which varies. In European languages, large numbers are read in groups of thousands, and the delimiter{{Mdash}}which occurs every three digits when it is used{{Mdash}}may be called a "thousands separator". In ]s, particularly ], ], and ], large numbers are read in groups of ]s (10&nbsp;000s) but the delimiter commonly separates every three digits.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}<!-- see talk page -->
The convention for digit group separators historically varied among countries, but usually seeking to distinguish the delimiter from the decimal separator. Traditionally, ] employed commas as the delimiter &ndash; 10,000 &ndash; and other European countries employed periods or spaces: 10.000 or {{val|10000}}. Because of the confusion that could result in international documents, in recent years the use of spaces as separators has been advocated by the superseded ],<ref name="nist.gov"/> as well as by the ] and the ], which have also begun advocating the use of a "]" in "groups of three".<ref name="BIPM"/><ref name="old.iupac.org"/> Within the United States, the ]'s widely followed '']'' also calls for a thin space.<ref name="AMA10p793"/> In some online ] environments (for example, ]-only) a thin space is not practical or available, in which case a regular word space or no delimiter are the alternatives.


The ] is somewhat more complex: It groups the rightmost three digits together (until the hundreds place) and thereafter groups by sets of two digits. For example, one ] (European ]) would thus be written as 10,00,00,00,00,000 or 10 ].<ref>{{cite report |last=Emmons |first=John |date=2018-03-25 |section=Part&nbsp;3: Numbers |title=Unicode Locale Data Markup Language (LDML) |website=Unicode.org |section-url=https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/tr35-numbers.html#Special_Pattern_Characters |url-status=live |access-date=2018-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725183458/https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/tr35-numbers.html#Special_Pattern_Characters |archive-date=2018-07-25}}</ref>
===Data versus mask===
Digit group separators can occur either as part of the data or as a mask through which the data is displayed. This is an example of the ], making it possible to display numbers with spaced digit grouping in a way that does not insert any ]s into the string of digits in the ]. In many computing contexts, it is preferred to omit digit group separators from the data and instead overlay them as a mask (an ] or an output mask). Common examples include ]s and ]s in which currency values are entered without such marks but are displayed with them inserted. (Similarly, phone numbers can have hyphens, spaces, and/or parentheses as a mask rather than as data.) In ], such digit grouping can be done with ]. It is useful because the number can be ] into ]s (including a web browser's ]) and parsed by the computer as-is (i.e., without the user manually purging the extraneous characters). For example, ] content can display numbers this way, as in the following examples: {{val|149597870700}} metres is 1 ], {{gaps|3.14159|26535|89793|23846}} is ] rounded to 20 decimal places, and {{gaps|2.71828|18284|59045|23536}} is {{mvar|]}} rounded to 20 decimal places.


The convention for digit group separators historically varied among countries, but usually seeking to distinguish the delimiter from the decimal separator. Traditionally, ] (except South Africa)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au/SME/TNMY/Decimals/Decimals/backinfo/overseas.htm |title=Language and Culture Differences. |website=extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au |accessdate=11 March 2023}}</ref> employed commas as the delimiter – 10,000 – and other European countries employed periods or spaces: 10.000 or {{nobr|10&thinsp;000}}. Because of the confusion that could result in international documents, in recent years the use of spaces as separators has been advocated by the superseded ],<ref name="nist.gov">{{cite web |title=Decimals Score a Point on International Standards |date=2006-11-22 |publisher=U.S. ] |url=https://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2006_1122.htm#decimal |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171543/https://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2006_1122.htm#decimal |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> as well as by the ] and the ], which have also begun advocating the use of a "]" in "groups of three".<ref name="BIPM"/><ref name="old.iupac.org"/>
In some ]s, it is possible to group the digits in the program's ] to make it easier to read; see ]. ], ] (from version 7.0), ], ] (from GHC version 8.6.1), ], ], ], ] (from version 3.6), ] (from version 7.4<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration74.new-features.php#migration74.new-features.core.numeric-literal-separator |title=PHP: New Features - Numeric literal separator |publisher=The PHP Group |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref>), ], ] (from version 1.13), ], ], and ] use the ] character for this purpose; as such, these languages allow seven hundred million to be entered as 700_000_000. Fixed-form ] ignores ] (in all contexts), so 700&nbsp;000&nbsp;000 is permissible. ], ], and ] allow the use of an ] for digit grouping, so 700'000'000 is permissible.

Within the United States, the ]'s widely followed '']'' also calls for a thin space.<ref name="AMA10p793"/> In programming languages and online ] environments (for example, ]-only) a thin space is not practical or available, in which case an underscore,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://peps.python.org/pep-0515/#prior-art|title=PEP 515 Underscores in Numeric Literals: Prior Art|website=peps.python.org|accessdate=2024-02-13}}</ref> regular word space, or no delimiter are the alternatives.

===Data vis-à-vis mask===
Digit group separators can occur either as part of the data or as a mask through which the data is displayed. This is an example of the ], making it possible to display numbers with spaced digit grouping in a way that does not insert any ]s into the string of digits in the ]. In many computing contexts, it is preferred to omit digit group separators from the data and instead overlay them as a mask (an ] or an output mask).

Common examples include ]s and ]s in which currency values are entered without such marks but are displayed with them inserted. (Similarly, phone numbers can have hyphens, spaces or parentheses as a mask rather than as data.) In ], such digit grouping can be done with ]. It is useful because the number can be ] into ]s (including a web browser's ]) and parsed by the computer as-is (i.e., without the user manually purging the extraneous characters). For example, ] content can display numbers this way, as in the following examples:
:: {{val|149597870700}} metres is 1 ]
:: {{gaps|3.14159|26535|89793|23846}} is ] rounded to 20 decimal places
:: {{gaps|2.71828|18284|59045|23536}} is {{mvar|]}} rounded to 20 decimal places.

In some ]s, it is possible to group the digits in the program's ] to make it easier to read; see ].
{{div col begin|colwidth=11em}}
: ]
: ] {{small|(from version&nbsp;7.0)}}<ref>{{cite report |title=New Features in C#&nbsp;77.0 |section=Literal improvements |date=9 March 2017 |publisher=Microsoft |type=blog |section-url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/new-features-in-c-7-0/#literal-improvements |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref>
: ]
: ] {{nobr|&thinsp;{{small|(from version&nbsp;1.13)}} }}
: ] {{nobr|&emsp; {{small|(from GHC version 8.6.1)}} }}
: ]
: ]
: ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Basic types |website=Kotlin Language |url=https://kotlinlang.org/docs/basic-types.html#literal-constants:~:text=You%20can%20use%20underscores%20to%20make%20number%20constants%20more%20readable}}</ref>
: ]
: ]
: ] {{nobr|&emsp; {{small|(from version 3.6)}} }}
: ] {{nobr|&emsp; {{small|(from version 7.4)}}<ref>{{cite web |series=PHP: New Features |title=Numeric literal separator |publisher=The PHP Group |url=https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration74.new-features.php#migration74.new-features.core.numeric-literal-separator |access-date=2020-07-16}}</ref> }}
: ]
: ]
: ]
{{div col end}}

], ], ], and free-form ] use the ] character for this purpose; as such, these languages allow seven hundred million to be entered as 700_000_000.

Fixed-form ] ignores ] (in all contexts), so 700&nbsp;000&nbsp;000 has always been accepted. ] and its successors allow (ignored) underscores in numbers in free-form.

], ], and ] all allow the use of an ] for digit grouping, so 700'000'000 is permissible.

Below is shown an example of Kotlin code using separators to increase readability:
<syntaxhighlight lang="kotlin" line="1">
val exampleNumber = 12_004_953 // Twelve million four thousand nine hundred fifty-three
</syntaxhighlight>


===Exceptions to digit grouping=== ===Exceptions to digit grouping===
The ] states that "when there are only four digits before or after the decimal marker, it is customary not to use a space to isolate a single digit".<ref name=BIPM/> Likewise, some ] state that thousands separators should not be used in normal text for numbers from 1,000 to 9,999 inclusive where no decimal fractional part is shown (in other words, for four-digit whole numbers), whereas others use thousands separators and others use both. For example, ] stipulates a thousands separator for "most figures of 1,000 or more" except for page numbers, binary digits, temperatures, etc. The ] states that "when there are only four digits before or after the decimal marker, it is customary not to use a space to isolate a single digit".<ref name=BIPM/> Likewise, some ] state that thousands separators should not be used in normal text for numbers from {{val|1000}} to {{val|9999}} inclusive where no decimal fractional part is shown (in other words, for four-digit whole numbers), whereas others use thousands separators and others use both. For example, ] stipulates a thousands separator for "most figures of {{val|1000}} or more" except for page numbers, binary digits, temperatures, etc.


There are always "common-sense" country-specific exceptions to digit grouping, such as year numbers, ]s and ID numbers of predefined nongrouped format, which style guides usually point out. There are always "common-sense" country-specific exceptions to digit grouping, such as year numbers, ]s, and ID numbers of predefined nongrouped format, which style guides usually point out.


===In non-base-10 numbering systems=== ===In non-base-10 numbering systems===
In binary (base-2), a full space can be used between groups of four digits, corresponding to a ], or equivalently to a ] digit. For integer numbers, dots are used as well to separate groups of four bits.<ref name="DR-DEBUG_H">As an example, the ] ] <code>H</code> command displays the entered number in hexadecimal, decimal, octal and binary notation:<pre>-h 1234 In binary (base-2), a full space can be used between groups of four digits, corresponding to a ], or equivalently to a ] digit. For integer numbers, dots are used as well to separate groups of four bits.{{efn|name="DR-DEBUG_H"|
As an example, the ] ] <code>H</code> command displays the entered number in hexadecimal, decimal, octal and binary notation:<pre>-h 1234
1234 #4660 \011064 %0001.0010.0011.0100</pre>
1234 #4660 \011064 %0001.0010.0011.0100</pre></ref> Alternatively, binary digits may be grouped by threes, corresponding to an ] digit. Similarly, in hexadecimal (base-16), full spaces are usually used to group digits into twos, making each group correspond to a ].<ref name="DR-DEBUG_D"/> Additionally, groups of eight bytes are often separated by a hyphen.<ref name="DR-DEBUG_D">As an example, the ] ] <code>D</code> command dumps the memory byte-wise in hexadecimal notation with bytes separated by spaces and groups of eight bytes separated by hyphens:<syntaxhighlight lang="hexdump">-d 0
}}
1234:0000 57 69 6B 69 70 65 64 69-61 20 68 65 6C 70 73 21 Misplaced Pages helps!</syntaxhighlight></ref>
Alternatively, binary digits may be grouped by threes, corresponding to an ] digit. Similarly, in hexadecimal (base-16), full spaces are usually used to group digits into twos, making each group correspond to a ].{{efn|name="DR-DEBUG_D"}} Additionally, groups of eight bytes are often separated by a hyphen.{{efn|name="DR-DEBUG_D"|
As an example, the ] ] <code>D</code> command dumps the memory byte-wise in hexadecimal notation, with bytes separated by spaces and groups of eight bytes separated by hyphens:<syntaxhighlight lang="hexdump">-d 0
1234:0000 57 69 6B 69 70 65 64 69-61 20 68 65 6C 70 73 21 Misplaced Pages helps!</syntaxhighlight>
}}


==Influence of calculators and computers== ==Influence of calculators and computers==
In countries with a decimal comma, the decimal point is also common as the "international" notation because of the influence of devices, such as ]s, which use the decimal point. Most computer ] allow selection of the decimal separator; programs that have been carefully ] will follow this, but some programs ignore it and a few may even fail to operate if the setting has been changed.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} In countries with a decimal comma, the decimal point is also common as the "international" notation{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} because of the influence of devices, such as ]s, which use the decimal point. Most computer ] allow selection of the decimal separator; programs that have been carefully ] will follow this, but some programs ignore it and a few may even fail to operate if the setting has been changed.


Computer interfaces may be set to the Unicode international "Common locale" using {{code| LC_NUMERIC{{=}}C }} as defined at {{cite web |title=Unicode CLDR project |website=] |url=http://cldr.unicode.org/index}} Details of the current (2020) definitions may be found at {{cite web |title=01102-POSIX15897 |website=] |url=http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2001/01102-POSIX15897.htm}}
=={{anchor|Hindu–Arabic numeral system}}Hindu-Arabic numerals==

[[File:DecimalSeparator.svg|300px|thumb|Decimal separators:
==Conventions worldwide==
[[File:DecimalSeparator.svg|600px|thumb|center|Decimal separators:
{{legend|#00b7ef|Dot (.)}} {{legend|#00b7ef|Dot (.)}}
{{legend|#a8e61d|Comma (,)}} {{legend|#a8e61d|Comma (,)}}
{{legend|#54ce86|Both (may vary by location or other factors)}} {{legend|#54ce86|Both (may vary by location or other factors)}}
{{legend|#ed1c24|] (٫)}} {{legend|#ed1c24|] ({{Script|Arab|٫}})}}
{{legend|#c0c0c0|Data unavailable}}]] {{legend|#c0c0c0|Data unavailable}}]]


{{Cleanup|section and the section that follows it|reason=Use by region is inconsistent, inaccurate, and are poorly formatted.|date=March 2023}}
===Countries using decimal comma===
{{More citations needed|section|date=August 2023}}

==={{anchor|Hindu–Arabic numeral system}}Hindu–Arabic numerals===
{{clear}}
====Countries using decimal comma====
Countries where a comma "," is used as decimal separator include: Countries where a comma "," is used as decimal separator include:

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em| {{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* Albania * Albania
Line 99: Line 194:
* Bosnia and Herzegovina * Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Brazil * Brazil
* Bulgaria{{efn|name=fn3|The comma as a decimal separator is the national literary convention, but many places use the dot as decimal operator due to prevalence of imported tech that internally uses dot as the decimal separator (because the tech usually utilizes the dot decimal separator convention of the country where it was made, which is mostly USA-&-]-oriented, or is made in China where the dot is utilized as a decimal separator). To sum up, the comma is the conventional decimal separator in Bulgaria, but both the comma and the dot are in ''de facto'' usage.}} * Bulgaria{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn3|The comma as a decimal separator is the national literary convention, but many places use the dot as decimal separator due to prevalence of imported tech that internally uses dot as the decimal separator (because the tech usually utilizes the dot decimal separator convention of the country where it was made, which is mostly USA-&-]-oriented, or is made in China where the dot is utilized as a decimal separator). To sum up, the comma is the conventional decimal separator in Bulgaria, but both the comma and the dot are in ''de facto'' usage.}}
* Cabo Verde
* Cameroon * Cameroon
* Canada (when using French) * Canada (when using French)
Line 107: Line 203:
* Croatia * Croatia
* Cuba * Cuba
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic * Czech Republic
* Denmark * Denmark
Line 124: Line 221:
* Italy * Italy
* Kazakhstan * Kazakhstan
* Kosovo
* Kyrgyzstan * Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Latvia * Latvia
* Lebanon * Lebanon
* Lithuania * Lithuania
* Luxembourg (uses both marks officially) * Luxembourg
* Macau (in Portuguese text) * Macau (in Portuguese text)
* Mauritania
* Moldova * Moldova
* Mongolia{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn4|The comma as a decimal separator is the national literary convention, but many places use the dot as decimal separator due to prevalence of imported tech that internally uses dot as the decimal separator (because the tech usually utilizes the dot decimal separator convention of the country where it was made, which is mostly USA-&-]-oriented, or is made in China where the dot is utilized as a decimal separator). To sum up, the comma is the conventional decimal separator in Mongolia, but the dot is more commonly used.}}
* Mongolia
* Montenegro
* Morocco * Morocco
* Mozambique * Mozambique
* Namibia (uses both marks)<ref>{{cite web|title=AirNam board endorses aircraft purchase plan|url=http://www.mpe.gov.na/documents/182025/256446/AirNam+board+endorses+aircraft+purchase+plan.pdf/|website=Republic of Namibia, Ministry of Public Enterprises|access-date=30 January 2018|quote=The cost per aircraft was estimated at between N$19,5 million and N$26 million.}}</ref> * Namibia (uses both marks)<ref>{{cite web|title=AirNam board endorses aircraft purchase plan|url=http://www.mpe.gov.na/documents/182025/256446/AirNam+board+endorses+aircraft+purchase+plan.pdf/|website=Republic of Namibia, Ministry of Public Enterprises|access-date=30 January 2018|quote=The cost per aircraft was estimated at between N$19,5 million and N$26 million.|archive-date=31 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131024141/http://www.mpe.gov.na/documents/182025/256446/AirNam+board+endorses+aircraft+purchase+plan.pdf/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The Netherlands
* North Macedonia * North Macedonia
* Norway * Norway
Line 144: Line 244:
* Romania * Romania
* Russia * Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia * Serbia
* Slovakia * Slovakia
Line 149: Line 250:
* Somalia * Somalia
* South Africa<ref name=za>{{cite book |last=GCIS (2011) |url=http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/editorial_styleguide_2011.pdf |title=Editorial Style Guide |publisher=Government Communications & Information System |location=Pretoria |page=24 |access-date=2018-01-30|quote=* Write decimal and negative numbers as numerals: 3,3 and –4. Use the decimal comma, not the decimal point: 17,4 million. * Use a space, not commas, to indicate thousands: 3 000, 20 000.}}</ref><ref name=za-sadev>{{cite web|last1=MacLean|first1=Robert|title=How to correctly format currency in South Africa?|url=https://sadev.co.za/content/how-correctly-format-currency-south-africa|access-date=4 February 2018}}<br/></ref> * South Africa<ref name=za>{{cite book |last=GCIS (2011) |url=http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/editorial_styleguide_2011.pdf |title=Editorial Style Guide |publisher=Government Communications & Information System |location=Pretoria |page=24 |access-date=2018-01-30|quote=* Write decimal and negative numbers as numerals: 3,3 and –4. Use the decimal comma, not the decimal point: 17,4 million. * Use a space, not commas, to indicate thousands: 3 000, 20 000.}}</ref><ref name=za-sadev>{{cite web|last1=MacLean|first1=Robert|title=How to correctly format currency in South Africa?|url=https://sadev.co.za/content/how-correctly-format-currency-south-africa|access-date=4 February 2018}}<br/></ref>
* Spain{{efn|name=fn2}} * Spain{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn2}}
* Suriname * Suriname
* Sweden{{efn|name=fn2}} * Sweden{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn2}}
* Switzerland {{efn|name=fn1}} * Switzerland{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn1}}
* The Netherlands
* Tunisia * Tunisia
* Turkey * Turkey
Line 162: Line 262:
* Venezuela * Venezuela
* Vietnam * Vietnam
* Zimbabwe
}} }}


{{anchor|Dot countries}}
===Countries using decimal point===

====Countries using decimal point====
Countries where a dot "." is used as decimal separator include: Countries where a dot "." is used as decimal separator include:

{{columns-list|colwidth=15em| {{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* Australia * Australia
* Bahamas, The
* Bangladesh * Bangladesh
* Botswana * Botswana
Line 174: Line 279:
* Canada (when using English) * Canada (when using English)
* China * China
* Cyprus (currency numbers)
** Hong Kong
** Macau (in Chinese and English text)
* Cyprus
* Dominican Republic * Dominican Republic
* Egypt * Egypt
Line 185: Line 288:
* Guyana * Guyana
* Honduras * Honduras
* Hong Kong
* India * India
* Ireland * Ireland
Line 196: Line 300:
* Libya * Libya
* Liechtenstein * Liechtenstein
* Macau (in Chinese and English text)
* Luxembourg (uses both marks officially)
* Malaysia * Malaysia
* Maldives * Maldives
Line 209: Line 313:
* Pakistan * Pakistan
* Panama * Panama
* Peru (currency numbers)
* Philippines * Philippines
* Puerto Rico
* Qatar * Qatar
* Saudi Arabia * Saudi Arabia
Line 216: Line 320:
* Somalia * Somalia
* Sri Lanka * Sri Lanka
* Switzerland {{efn|name=fn1|The decimal point is used in some ] (for example the ]<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323143437/http://www.schule.sg.ch/home/volksschule/unterricht/lehrplan/_jcr_content/Par/downloadlist_0/DownloadListPar/download_6.ocFile/8_Fachbereich_Mathematik.pdf |date=2017-03-23 }}, p. 14 (PDF; ≈&nbsp;257&nbsp;kB) – from ''schule.sg.ch'' (german)</ref>) and is used in ] and for ]. The decimal comma is used for federal publications<ref>'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122114658/http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/sprachen/04915/05016/index.html?lang=de |date=2017-01-22 }}'' – Issuer: '']'', 2nd issue 2013, p. 80 (German).</ref> and some ].}} * Switzerland{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn1|The decimal point is used in some ] (for example the ]<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323143437/http://www.schule.sg.ch/home/volksschule/unterricht/lehrplan/_jcr_content/Par/downloadlist_0/DownloadListPar/download_6.ocFile/8_Fachbereich_Mathematik.pdf |date=2017-03-23 }}, p. 14 (PDF; ≈&nbsp;257&nbsp;kB) – from ''schule.sg.ch'' (german)</ref>) and is used in ] and for ]. The decimal comma is used for federal publications<ref>'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122114658/http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/sprachen/04915/05016/index.html?lang=de |date=2017-01-22 }}'' – Issuer: '']'', 2nd issue 2013, p. 80 (German).</ref> and some ].}}
* Syria * Syria
* Taiwan * Taiwan
* Tanzania * Tanzania
* Thailand{{efn|name=fn2|According to several software developers.<ref name=software>{{cite web|publisher=Oracle|title=Decimal and Thousands Separators|url=https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Igor|last1=Krupitsky|publisher=Microsoft|title=International Number Formats|url=https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/78175/International-Number-Formats|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>}} * Thailand{{efn|group=lower-roman|name=fn2|According to several software developers.<ref name=software>{{cite web|publisher=Oracle|title=Decimal and Thousands Separators|url=https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Igor|last1=Krupitsky|publisher=Microsoft|title=International Number Formats|date=May 2010|url=https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/78175/International-Number-Formats|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref>}}
* Uganda * Uganda
* United Arab Emirates * United Arab Emirates
* United Kingdom * United Kingdom
* United States (including ]s) * United States (including ]s)
}}Notes:{{notelist|group=lower-roman}}
* Zimbabwe
}}
{{notelist}}


==Other numeral systems== ===Other numeral systems===
Unicode defines a ''decimal separator key symbol'' (⎖ in hex U+2396, decimal 9110) which looks similar to the ]. This symbol is from ] and is intended for use on a keyboard to indicate a key that performs decimal separation. Unicode defines a ''decimal separator key symbol'' (⎖ in hex U+2396, decimal 9110) which looks similar to the ]. This symbol is from ] and is intended for use on a keyboard to indicate a key that performs decimal separation.


In the ], where ] are used for writing numbers, a different character is used to separate the integer and fractional parts of numbers. It is referred to as an ] (U+066B, rendered: {{Script|Arab|٫}}) in ]. An Arabic thousands separator (U+066C, rendered: {{Script|Arab|٬}}) also exists. Example: {{Script|Arab|۹٬۹۹۹٫۹۹}} (9,999.99) In the ], where ] are used for writing numbers, a different character is used to separate the integer and fractional parts of numbers. It is referred to as an ] (U+066B, rendered: {{Script|Arab|٫}}) in ]. An Arabic thousands separator (U+066C, rendered: {{Script|Arab|٬}}) also exists. Example: {{Script|Arab|۹٬۹۹۹٫۹۹}} (9,999.99)


In ], the decimal separator is called ''momayyez'' used to separate sequences of three digits. The Unicode Consortium's investigation has concluded that "computer programs should render U+066B as a shortened, lowered, and possibly more slanted ] ({{Script|fa-Arab|٫}}); this should be distinguishable from the slash at the first sight." To separate ]s of three digits, an Arabic thousands separator (rendered as: {{Script|fa-Arab|٬}}), a Latin comma, or a ] may be used; however this is not a standard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/Archives-Old/UML024/1289.html |title=Persian decimal separator |last=Pournader |first=Roozbeh |date=2000-10-15 |work=Unicode Mail List Archive |publisher=Unicode Consortium |access-date=2008-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web In ], the decimal separator is called ]. The Unicode Consortium's investigation concluded that "computer programs should render U+066B as a shortened, lowered, and possibly more slanted ] ({{Script|fa-Arab|٫}}); this should be distinguishable from the slash at the first sight." To separate ]s of three digits, an Arabic thousands separator (rendered as: {{Script|fa-Arab|٬}}), a Latin comma, or a ] may be used; however this is not a standard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/Archives-Old/UML024/1289.html |title=Persian decimal separator |last=Pournader |first=Roozbeh |date=2000-10-15 |work=Unicode Mail List Archive |publisher=Unicode Consortium |access-date=2008-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.fazel.de/dastur/EN/2-1-05-001-1-3_decimal_numeral.html |url=http://www.fazel.de/dastur/EN/2-1-05-001-1-3_decimal_numeral.html
|title=The Decimal Numeral |title=The Decimal Numeral
Line 251: Line 353:
{| class="wikitable" {| class="wikitable"
|- |-
! Style !! Countries and Regions ! Style !! Countries and regions
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,234,567.89 || Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/style-rules-and-conventions/numbers-and-measurements/choosing-numerals-or-words#combine_numerals_and_words_for_large_rounded_numbers|title=Digital Guides|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://about.abc.net.au/abc-editorial/the-abc-style-guide/#T|title=The ABC Style Guide|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> Canada (English-speaking; unofficial), China, Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states, United States. | style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89 || Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/style-rules-and-conventions/numbers-and-measurements/choosing-numerals-or-words#combine_numerals_and_words_for_large_rounded_numbers|title=Digital Guides|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://about.abc.net.au/abc-editorial/the-abc-style-guide/#T|title=The ABC Style Guide|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=19 August 2020}}</ref> Cambodia, Canada (English-speaking; unofficial), China,<ref name="SAMR2011">{{cite web|url=https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=F5DAC3377DA99C8D78AE66735B6359C7|title=国家标准GB/T 15835-2011出版物上数字用法|publisher=国家标准全文公开系统|access-date=2 April 2024|date=2011-07-29|language=zh|trans-title=General rules for writing numerals in public texts}}</ref> Cyprus (currency numbers), Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Macau (in Chinese and English text), Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru (currency numbers), Philippines, Singapore, South Africa (English-speaking; unofficial), Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states except Mozambique, United States.
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| {{gaps|1|234|567.89}} || SI style (English version), Canada (English-speaking), China, Namibia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland (officially encouraged for currency numbers only<ref name="bk_admin_ch">{{cite web |publisher=Schweizer Bundeskanzlei |url=https://www.admin.ch/gov/de/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-49648.html |title=Scheibweisungen, 2nd edition 2013 |date=June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128123857/http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/sprachen/04915/05016/index.html?lang=de&download=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6gpJCHe393gWym162epYbg2c_JjKbNoKSn6A-- |archive-date= 28 January 2015}}</ref>), United Kingdom. | style="text-align:right;"| {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89}} || Canada (English-speaking; official), China,<ref name="SAMR2011" /> Estonia (currency numbers), Hong Kong (in education), Mexico, Namibia, South Africa (English-speaking; unofficial), Sri Lanka, Switzerland (in federal texts for currency numbers only<ref name="bk_admin_ch">{{cite web |publisher=Schweizer Bundeskanzlei |url=https://www.admin.ch/gov/de/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-49648.html |title=Schreibweisungen, 2nd edition 2013 |date=June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128123857/http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/sprachen/04915/05016/index.html?lang=de&download=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6gpJCHe393gWym162epYbg2c_JjKbNoKSn6A-- |archive-date= 28 January 2015}}</ref>), United Kingdom (in education), United States (in education){{Citation needed|date=September 2024|reason=Based on my experience, the overwhelming majority of academia in the US uses the thousand separator.}}. SI style (English version) but SI doesn't include currency.
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| {{gaps|1|234|567,89}} || SI style (French version), Albania, Belgium (French), Bulgaria, Canada (French-speaking), Costa Rica,<ref>{{cite web |title=Unidades Legales de Medida |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?nValor1=1&nValor2=46795}}</ref> Croatia<ref name=croatia/> the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Kosovo, Latin Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain (official use since 2010, according to the '']''), Sweden, Switzerland (officially encouraged, except currency numbers<ref name="bk_admin_ch" />), Ukraine, Vietnam (in education). | style="text-align:right;"| {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89}} || Albania, Belgium (French), Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada (French-speaking), Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/ohje/49|title=Luvut ja numerot: numeroiden ryhmittely|website=Kielitoimiston ohjepankki|language=fi-FI|access-date=2018-06-27}}</ref> France, Hungary, Italy (in education), Latin America, Latin Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau (in Portuguese text), Mozambique, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia (informal), Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa (official<ref name=SAHPRA>{{cite report |url=https://www.sahpra.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2.38_SI_Metric_System_Mar19_v3.pdf |title=SI Metric System |date=March 2019 |edition=2.38 |website=SAHPRA |quote=The comma is the only recognised decimal indicator for all numbers, including amounts of (currency) money.}}</ref>), Spain (official use since 2010, according to the '']'' and '']''), Sweden, Switzerland (in federal texts, except currency numbers<ref name=bk_admin_ch/>), Ukraine, Vietnam (in education). SI style (French version) but SI doesn't include currency.
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89 || Austria, Belgium (Dutch), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil (informal and in ]), Chile, Colombia, Croatia (in ] and technology),<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Točka |website=Hrvatski pravopis |publisher=] |url=http://pravopis.hr/pravilo/tocka/55/ |access-date=2022-07-28}}</ref> Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Latin America (informal), Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain (used until 2010, inadvisable use according to the '']'' and ]),{{efn|... when writing numbers more than four figures, these will be grouped into threes, starting from the right, and separating the groups by whitespace. (Exceptions: Never written with periods, commas or white separation numbers that refer to years, pages, verses, urban roads, postal codes, legal articles, decrees or laws.)<ref name=test>{{cite book |title=Diccionario panhispánico de dudas |url=http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?key=n%FAmeros#2 |url-status=dead |access-date=16 January 2014 |archive-date=18 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118023207/http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?key=n%FAmeros#2 }}</ref>}}<ref name=Ortografia>{{cite book |title=Ortografía de la lengua española |quote=For the purpose of promoting a process tending towards unification, the use of the point as decimal separator is recommended.(2.2.1.2.1) |url=http://aplica.rae.es/orweb/cgi-bin/v.cgi?i=KnJfwDWVQQYgmiw,}}</ref> Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam.
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,234,567'''·'''89 || Ireland, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom (older, typically hand written; in education)
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>·</nowiki>'''89 || Malaysia, Malta, Philippines (uncommon today), Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom (older, typically handwritten; in education)
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,234.567''','''89 || Croatia (alternative to spaces; commas and periods alternate with powers of 1,000)<ref name=croatia>Babić, Stjepan; Finka, Božidar; Moguš, Milan. ''Hrvatski pravopis'' (1995), Školska knjiga, Zagreb, p.136</ref>
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 12'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''34'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89 || rowspan="2" | Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan (see ]).
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.234.567''','''89 || Argentina, Austria, Belgium (Dutch), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Croatia (informal), Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain (used until 2010, inadvisable use according to the '']''),<ref name="test">, when writing numbers more than four figures, these will be grouped into threes, starting from the right, and separating the groups by whitespace. (Exceptions: Never written with periods, commas or white separation numbers that refer to years, pages, verses, urban roads, postal codes, legal articles, decrees or laws.)</ref><ref name="Ortografia">, For the purpose of promoting a process tending towards unification, the use of the point as decimal separator is recommended.</ref> Turkey, Vietnam.
|- |-
|{{Gaps|12|34|567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,34,567.89 || Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan (see ]).
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''.'''89 || Switzerland (computing), Liechtenstein. | style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89 || Switzerland (computing), Liechtenstein.
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567''','''89 || Switzerland (handwriting), Italy (handwriting). | style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89 || Switzerland (handwriting), Italy (handwriting).
|- |-
| style="text-align:right;"| 1'''.'''234'''.'''567'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''89 || Spain (handwriting, used until 1980s, inadvisable use according to the ]). | style="text-align:right;"| 1'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''89 || Spain (handwriting, used until 1980s, inadvisable use according to the ] and '']''{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}).
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| 123,4567.89 || China (based on powers of 10 000—see ], also ''{{gaps|123|4567.89}}''{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}).
|} |}


*In Belgium (Dutch), Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and much of Europe: {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89}} or 1'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89. In ], 1'''<nowiki>˙</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>˙</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89 is also seen, but never in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia or Sweden. In Italy, a straight apostrophe is also used in handwriting: 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89. In the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium, the points thousands separator is used, and is preferred for currency amounts, but the space is recommended by some style guides, mostly in technical writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1/10000000_10_000_000/|title=10.000.000&nbsp;/&nbsp;10&nbsp;000&nbsp;000|author=Taalunieversum|access-date=1 September 2017}}</ref>
*In Albania, Belgium (French), Estonia, Finland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/ohje/49|title=Luvut ja numerot: numeroiden ryhmittely|website=Kielitoimiston ohjepankki|language=fi-FI|access-date=2018-06-27}}</ref> France, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and much of ] as well as French Canada: {{gaps|1|234|567,89}} (In Spain, in handwriting it is also common to use an upper comma: 1.234.567'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''89){{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
*In Estonia, currency numbers often use a dot "'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''" as the decimal separator, and a space as a thousands separator. This is most visible on shopping receipts and in documents that also use other numbers with decimals, such as measurements. This practice is used to better distinguish between prices and other values with decimals. An older convention uses dots to separate thousands (with commas for decimals) &mdash; this older practice makes it easier to avoid word breaks with larger numbers.
*In Belgium (Dutch), Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and much of Europe: {{gaps|1|234|567,89}} or 1.234.567,89. In ], 1'''˙'''234'''˙'''567''','''89 is also seen, but never in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia or Sweden. In Italy, a straight apostrophe is also used in handwriting: 1'234'567,89. In the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium, the points thousands separator is used, and is preferred for currency amounts, but the space is recommended by some style guides, mostly in technical writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1/10000000_10_000_000/|title=10.000.000&nbsp;/&nbsp;10&nbsp;000&nbsp;000|author=Taalunieversum|access-date=1 September 2017}}</ref>
*Historically, in Germany and Austria, thousands separators were occasionally denoted by alternating uses of comma and point, e.g. 1'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''890'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''12<ref>{{cite web |last=Röll |title=Union Pacific-Eisenbahn |work=Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens |url=http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/Union+Pacific-Eisenbahn |access-date=26 August 2014}}, entry "Union Pacific-Eisenbahn", largest numbers in table</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Röll |title=Bilanz |work=Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens |url=http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/Bilanz |access-date=26 August 2014}}, entry "Bilanz", sums in last table</ref> for "eine Milliarde 234 Millionen ...", but this is never seen in modern days and requires explanation to a contemporary German reader.
*In Estonia, currency numbers often use a dot "." as the decimal separator, and a space as a thousands separator. This is most visible on shopping receipts and in documents that also use other numbers with decimals, such as measurements. This practice is used to better distinguish between prices and other values with decimals. An older convention uses dots to separate thousands (with commas for decimals) &mdash; this older practice makes it easier to avoid word breaks with larger numbers.
*Switzerland: There are two cases: An apostrophe as a thousands separator along with a dot "'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''" as the decimal separator are used for currency values (for example: 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89). For other values, the ]-style {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89}} is used with a comma "'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''" as the decimal separator. The apostrophe is also the most common variety for non-currency values: 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89 &mdash;.
*Historically, in Germany and Austria, thousands separators were occasionally denoted by alternating uses of comma and point, e.g. 1.234,567.890,12<ref>{{cite web |last=Röll |title=Union Pacific-Eisenbahn |work=Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens |url=http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/Union+Pacific-Eisenbahn |access-date=26 August 2014}}, entry "Union Pacific-Eisenbahn", largest numbers in table</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Röll |title=Bilanz |work=Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens |url=http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/Bilanz |access-date=26 August 2014}}, entry "Bilanz", sums in last table</ref> for "eine Milliarde 234 Millionen ...", but this is never seen in modern days and requires explanation to a contemporary German reader.
*In Ireland, Israel, Japan, ] (both), Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States: 1,234,567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89 or 1,234,567'''<nowiki>·</nowiki>'''89; the latter is generally found only in older, and especially ] documents.
*Switzerland: There are two cases: An apostrophe as a thousands separator along with a dot "." as the decimal separator are used for currency values (for example: 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567'''.'''89). For other values, the ]-style {{gaps|1|234|567,89}} is used with a comma "," as the decimal separator. The apostrophe is also the most common variety for non-currency values: 1'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''234'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''567''','''89 &mdash; though this usage is officially discouraged.
*English Canada: There are two cases: The preferred method for currency values is $10'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''00 &mdash;while for numeric values, it is {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89}}; however, commas are also sometimes used, although no longer taught in school or used in official publications.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}
*In Ireland, Israel, Japan, ] (both), Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States: 1,234,567'''.'''89 or 1,234,567'''·'''89; the latter is generally found only in older, and especially ] documents.
*] style: {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''89}} or {{gaps|1|234|567'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''89}} (in their own publications, the dot "'''<nowiki>.</nowiki>'''" is used in the English version, and the comma "'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''" in the official French version).
*English Canada: There are two cases: The preferred method for currency values is $10,000.00 &mdash;while for numeric values, it is {{gaps|1|234|567.89}}; however, commas are also sometimes used, although no longer taught in school or used in official publications.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}
*In China, comma and space are used to mark digit groups, because dot is used as decimal separator. There is no universal convention on digit grouping, so both thousands grouping and no digit grouping can be found. Japan and Taiwan are similar; although when grouping by myriads, ] or ] are frequently used as separators: 1億2345万6789 / 1億2345萬6789. Commas are used when grouping by thousands.
*] style: {{nowrap|1 234 567.89}} or {{nowrap|1 234 567,89}} (in their own publications, the dot "." is used in the English version, and the comma "," in the official French version).
*In ], due to a numeral system using '']s'' (''lacs'') (1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''23'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''456 equal to 123'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''456) and '']s'' (1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''23'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''45'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''678 equal to {{nowrap|12'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''345'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''678}}), a comma is used at levels of thousand, lakh, and crore. For example, 10 million (1 crore) would be written as 1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000. In ], there is a greater tendency to use the standard western system, while using the Indian numbering system when conducting business in ].
*In China, comma and space are used to mark digit groups, because dot is used as decimal separator. There is no universal convention on digit grouping, so both thousands grouping and no digit grouping can be found. Japan and Taiwan are similar; although when grouping by myriads, ] or ] are frequently used as separators: 1亿2345万6789 / 1億2345萬6789. Commas are used when grouping by thousands.
*In ], the currency sometimes used the colon as decimal separator (1 234 567:89).
*In ], due to a numeral system using '']s'' (''lacs'') (1,23,456 equal to 123,456) and '']s'' (1,23,45,678 equal to {{nowrap|12,345,678}}), a comma is used at levels of thousand, lakh, and crore. For example, 10 million (1 crore) would be written as 1,00,00,000. In ], there is a greater tendency to use the standard western system, while using the Indian numbering system when conducting business in ].


{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- |-
!Indian Value !Indian value
!Value !Value
!Equivalent western notation
|- |-
|scope="row" |One |scope="row" |One
| style="text-align:right;"|1 | style="text-align:right;"|1
|One
|- |-
|scope="row" |Ten |scope="row" |Ten
| style="text-align:right;"|10 | style="text-align:right;"|10
|Ten
|- |-
|scope="row" |Hundred |scope="row" |Hundred
| style="text-align:right;"|100 | style="text-align:right;"|100
|Hundred
|- |-
|scope="row" |Thousand |scope="row" |Thousand
| style="text-align:right;"|1,000 | style="text-align:right;"|1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|Thousand
|- |-
|scope="row" |Lakh |scope="row" |Lakh
| style="text-align:right;"|1,00,000 | style="text-align:right;"|1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|One hundred thousand
|- |-
|scope="row" |Crore |scope="row" |Crore
| style="text-align:right;"|1,00,00,000 | style="text-align:right;"|1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|Ten million
|- |-
|scope="row" | Arab (not normally used) |scope="row" | Arab (not normally used)
| style="text-align:right;"|1,00,00,00,000 | style="text-align:right;"|1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|One ] billion (one thousand million)
|- |-
|scope="row" | Kharab (not normally used) |scope="row" | Kharab (not normally used)
| style="text-align:right;"|1,00,00,00,00,000 | style="text-align:right;"|1'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|One hundred short billion
|- |-
|scope="row" | Lakh Crore |scope="row" | Lakh crore
| style="text-align:right;"|10,00,00,00,00,000 | style="text-align:right;"|10'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''00'''<nowiki>,</nowiki>'''000
|One short trillion (one long (European) billion)
|} |}
{{Clear|Left}} {{Clear|Left}}
Line 341: Line 451:


==See also== ==See also==
{{div col begin|colwidth=15em}}
*]
* ]
*]
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
*]
*] * ]
*] * '']''
* ]
*]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|25em}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Decimal mark}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Decimal mark}}

Latest revision as of 12:42, 3 January 2025

Numerical symbol

"Decimal period" redirects here. For the period of a repeating decimal fraction, see Repeating decimal.
Part of a series on
Numeral systems
Place-value notation
Hindu–Arabic numerals

East Asian systems
Contemporary

Historic
Other systems
Ancient

Post-classical

Contemporary
By radix/base
Common radices/bases

Non-standard radices/bases
Sign-value notation
Non-alphabetic

Alphabetic
List of numeral systems
Four types of separating decimals: a) 1,234.56. b) 1.234,56. c) 1'234,56. d) ١٬٢٣٤٫٥٦.
Both a comma and a full stop (or period) are generally accepted decimal separators for international use. The apostrophe and Arabic decimal separator are also used in certain contexts.
Three ways to group the number ten thousand with digit group separators:
  • Space, the internationally recommended thousands separator.
  • Full stop (or period), the thousands separator used in many non-English speaking countries.
  • Comma, the thousands separator used in most English-speaking countries.

A decimal separator is a symbol that separates the integer part from the fractional part of a number written in decimal form. Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator. The choice of symbol also affects the choice of symbol for the thousands separator used in digit grouping.

Any such symbol can be called a decimal mark, decimal marker, or decimal sign. Symbol-specific names are also used; decimal point and decimal comma refer to a dot (either baseline or middle) and comma respectively, when it is used as a decimal separator; these are the usual terms used in English, with the aforementioned generic terms reserved for abstract usage.

In many contexts, when a number is spoken, the function of the separator is assumed by the spoken name of the symbol: comma or point in most cases. In some specialized contexts, the word decimal is instead used for this purpose (such as in International Civil Aviation Organization-regulated air traffic control communications). In mathematics, the decimal separator is a type of radix point, a term that also applies to number systems with bases other than ten.

History

Hellenistic–Renaissance eras

In the Middle Ages, before printing, a bar ( ¯ ) over the units digit was used to separate the integral part of a number from its fractional part, as in 9995 (meaning 99.95 in decimal point format). A similar notation remains in common use as an underbar to superscript digits, especially for monetary values without a decimal separator, as in 99. Later, a "separatrix" (i.e., a short, roughly vertical ink stroke) between the units and tenths position became the norm among Arab mathematicians (e.g. 99ˌ95), while an L-shaped or vertical bar (|) served as the separatrix in England. When this character was typeset, it was convenient to use the existing comma (99,95) or full stop (99.95) instead.

Positional decimal fractions appear for the first time in a book by the Arab mathematician Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi written in the 10th century. The practice is ultimately derived from the decimal Hindu–Arabic numeral system used in Indian mathematics, and popularized by the Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, when Latin translation of his work on the Indian numerals introduced the decimal positional number system to the Western world. His Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing presented the first systematic solution of linear and quadratic equations in Arabic.

Gerbert of Aurillac marked triples of columns with an arc (called a "Pythagorean arc"), when using his Hindu–Arabic numeral-based abacus in the 10th century. Fibonacci followed this convention when writing numbers, such as in his influential work Liber Abaci in the 13th century.

The earliest known record of using the decimal point is in the astronomical tables compiled by the Italian merchant and mathematician Giovanni Bianchini in the 1440s.

Tables of logarithms prepared by John Napier in 1614 and 1619 used the period (full stop) as the decimal separator, which was then adopted by Henry Briggs in his influential 17th century work.

In France, the full stop was already in use in printing to make Roman numerals more readable, so the comma was chosen.

Many other countries, such as Italy, also chose to use the comma to mark the decimal units position. It has been made standard by the ISO for international blueprints. However, English-speaking countries took the comma to separate sequences of three digits. In some countries, a raised dot or dash (upper comma) may be used for grouping or decimal separator; this is particularly common in handwriting.

English-speaking countries

In the United States, the full stop or period (.) is used as the standard decimal separator.

The interpunct (·) used as a decimal separator in a British print from 1839

In the nations of the British Empire (and, later, the Commonwealth of Nations), the full stop could be used in typewritten material and its use was not banned, although the interpunct (a.k.a. decimal point, point or mid dot) was preferred as a decimal separator, in printing technologies that could accommodate it, e.g. 99·95 . However, as the mid dot was already in common use in the mathematics world to indicate multiplication, the SI rejected its use as the decimal separator.

During the beginning of British metrication in the late 1960s and with impending currency decimalisation, there was some debate in the United Kingdom as to whether the decimal comma or decimal point should be preferred: the British Standards Institution and some sectors of industry advocated the comma and the Decimal Currency Board advocated for the point. In the event, the point was chosen by the Ministry of Technology in 1968.

California milepost marker at mile 144.44

When South Africa adopted the metric system, it adopted the comma as its decimal separator, although a number of house styles, including some English-language newspapers such as The Sunday Times, continue to use the full stop.

Previously, signs along California roads expressed distances in decimal numbers with the decimal part in superscript, as in 3, meaning 3.7. Though California has since transitioned to mixed numbers with common fractions, the older style remains on postmile markers and bridge inventory markers.

Constructed languages

The three most spoken international auxiliary languages, Ido, Esperanto, and Interlingua, all use the comma as the decimal separator.

Interlingua has used the comma as its decimal separator since the publication of the Interlingua Grammar in 1951.

Esperanto also uses the comma as its official decimal separator, whilst thousands are usually separated by non-breaking spaces (e.g. 12 345 678,9). It is possible to separate thousands by a full stop (e.g. 12.345.678,9), though this is not as common.

Ido's Kompleta Gramatiko Detaloza di la Linguo Internaciona Ido (Complete Detailed Grammar of the International Language Ido) officially states that commas are used for the decimal separator whilst full stops are used to separate thousands, millions, etc. So the number 12,345,678.90123 (in American notation), for instance, would be written 12.345.678,90123 in Ido.

The 1931 grammar of Volapük uses the comma as its decimal separator but, somewhat unusually, the middle dot as its thousands separator (12·345·678,90123).

In 1958, disputes between European and American delegates over the correct representation of the decimal separator nearly stalled the development of the ALGOL computer programming language. ALGOL ended up allowing different decimal separators, but most computer languages and standard data formats (e.g., C, Java, Fortran, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)) specify a dot. C++ and a couple of others permit a quote (') as thousands separator, and many others like Python and Julia, (only) allow ‘_’ as such a separator (it's usually ignored, i.e. also allows 1_00_00_000 aligning with the Indian number style of 1,00,00,000 that would be 10,000,000 in the US).

Radix point

In mathematics and computing, a radix point or radix character is a symbol used in the display of numbers to separate the integer part of the value from its fractional part. In English and many other languages (including many that are written right-to-left), the integer part is at the left of the radix point, and the fraction part at the right of it.

A radix point is most often used in decimal (base 10) notation, when it is more commonly called the decimal point (the prefix deci- implying base 10). In English-speaking countries, the decimal point is usually a small dot (.) placed either on the baseline, or halfway between the baseline and the top of the digits (·) In many other countries, the radix point is a comma (,) placed on the baseline.

These conventions are generally used both in machine displays (printing, computer monitors) and in handwriting. It is important to know which notation is being used when working in different software programs. The respective ISO standard defines both the comma and the small dot as decimal markers, but does not explicitly define universal radix marks for bases other than 10.

Fractional numbers are rarely displayed in other number bases, but, when they are, a radix character may be used for the same purpose. When used with the binary (base 2) representation, it may be called "binary point".

Current standards

The 22nd General Conference on Weights and Measures declared in 2003, “The symbol for the decimal marker shall be either the point on the line or the comma on the line.” It further reaffirmed,

“Numbers may be divided in groups of three in order to facilitate reading; neither dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between groups”

(1 000 000 000 for example). This use has therefore been recommended by technical organizations, such as the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Past versions of ISO 8601, but not the 2019 revision, also stipulated normative notation based on SI conventions, adding that the comma is preferred over the full stop.

ISO 80000-1 stipulates, “The decimal sign is either a comma or a point on the line.” The standard does not stipulate any preference, observing that usage will depend on customary usage in the language concerned, but adds a note that as per ISO/IEC directives, all ISO standards should use the comma as the decimal marker.

Digit grouping

For ease of reading, numbers with many digits (e.g. numbers over 999) may be divided into groups using a delimiter, such as comma "," or dot ".", half-space (or thin space) " ", space " ", underscore "_" (as in maritime "21_450") or apostrophe «'». In some countries, these "digit group separators" are only employed to the left of the decimal separator; in others, they are also used to separate numbers with a long fractional part. An important reason for grouping is that it allows rapid judgement of the number of digits, via telling at a glance ("subitizing") rather than counting (contrast, for example, 100 000 000 with 100000000 for one hundred million).

The use of thin spaces as separators, not dots or commas (for example: 20 000 and 1 000 000 for "twenty thousand" and "one million"), has been official policy of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures since 1948 (and reaffirmed in 2003) stating

"neither dots nor commas are ever inserted in the spaces between groups",

as well as of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the American Medical Association's widely followed AMA Manual of Style, and the Metrication Board, among others.

The groups created by the delimiters tend to follow the usages of local languages, which varies. In European languages, large numbers are read in groups of thousands, and the delimiter—which occurs every three digits when it is used—may be called a "thousands separator". In East Asian cultures, particularly China, Japan, and Korea, large numbers are read in groups of myriads (10 000s) but the delimiter commonly separates every three digits.

The Indian numbering system is somewhat more complex: It groups the rightmost three digits together (until the hundreds place) and thereafter groups by sets of two digits. For example, one American trillion (European billion) would thus be written as 10,00,00,00,00,000 or 10 kharab.

The convention for digit group separators historically varied among countries, but usually seeking to distinguish the delimiter from the decimal separator. Traditionally, English-speaking countries (except South Africa) employed commas as the delimiter – 10,000 – and other European countries employed periods or spaces: 10.000 or 10 000. Because of the confusion that could result in international documents, in recent years the use of spaces as separators has been advocated by the superseded SI/ISO 31-0 standard, as well as by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which have also begun advocating the use of a "thin space" in "groups of three".

Within the United States, the American Medical Association's widely followed AMA Manual of Style also calls for a thin space. In programming languages and online encoding environments (for example, ASCII-only) a thin space is not practical or available, in which case an underscore, regular word space, or no delimiter are the alternatives.

Data vis-à-vis mask

Digit group separators can occur either as part of the data or as a mask through which the data is displayed. This is an example of the separation of presentation and content, making it possible to display numbers with spaced digit grouping in a way that does not insert any whitespace characters into the string of digits in the content. In many computing contexts, it is preferred to omit digit group separators from the data and instead overlay them as a mask (an input mask or an output mask).

Common examples include spreadsheets and databases in which currency values are entered without such marks but are displayed with them inserted. (Similarly, phone numbers can have hyphens, spaces or parentheses as a mask rather than as data.) In web content, such digit grouping can be done with CSS style. It is useful because the number can be copied and pasted into calculators (including a web browser's omnibox) and parsed by the computer as-is (i.e., without the user manually purging the extraneous characters). For example, Misplaced Pages content can display numbers this way, as in the following examples:

149597870700 metres is 1 astronomical unit
3.14159265358979323846 is π rounded to 20 decimal places
2.71828182845904523536 is e rounded to 20 decimal places.

In some programming languages, it is possible to group the digits in the program's source code to make it easier to read; see Integer literal: Digit separators.

Ada
C# (from version 7.0)
D
Go  (from version 1.13)
Haskell   (from GHC version 8.6.1)
Java
JavaScript
Kotlin
OCaml
Perl
Python   (from version 3.6)
PHP   (from version 7.4)
Ruby
Rust
Zig

Julia, Swift, Java, and free-form Fortran 90 use the underscore (_) character for this purpose; as such, these languages allow seven hundred million to be entered as 700_000_000.

Fixed-form Fortran ignores whitespace (in all contexts), so 700 000 000 has always been accepted. Fortran 90 and its successors allow (ignored) underscores in numbers in free-form.

C++14, Rebol, and Red all allow the use of an apostrophe for digit grouping, so 700'000'000 is permissible.

Below is shown an example of Kotlin code using separators to increase readability:

val exampleNumber = 12_004_953 // Twelve million four thousand nine hundred fifty-three

Exceptions to digit grouping

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures states that "when there are only four digits before or after the decimal marker, it is customary not to use a space to isolate a single digit". Likewise, some manuals of style state that thousands separators should not be used in normal text for numbers from 1000 to 9999 inclusive where no decimal fractional part is shown (in other words, for four-digit whole numbers), whereas others use thousands separators and others use both. For example, APA style stipulates a thousands separator for "most figures of 1000 or more" except for page numbers, binary digits, temperatures, etc.

There are always "common-sense" country-specific exceptions to digit grouping, such as year numbers, postal codes, and ID numbers of predefined nongrouped format, which style guides usually point out.

In non-base-10 numbering systems

In binary (base-2), a full space can be used between groups of four digits, corresponding to a nibble, or equivalently to a hexadecimal digit. For integer numbers, dots are used as well to separate groups of four bits. Alternatively, binary digits may be grouped by threes, corresponding to an octal digit. Similarly, in hexadecimal (base-16), full spaces are usually used to group digits into twos, making each group correspond to a byte. Additionally, groups of eight bytes are often separated by a hyphen.

Influence of calculators and computers

In countries with a decimal comma, the decimal point is also common as the "international" notation because of the influence of devices, such as electronic calculators, which use the decimal point. Most computer operating systems allow selection of the decimal separator; programs that have been carefully internationalized will follow this, but some programs ignore it and a few may even fail to operate if the setting has been changed.

Computer interfaces may be set to the Unicode international "Common locale" using LC_NUMERIC=C as defined at "Unicode CLDR project". Unicode Consortium. Details of the current (2020) definitions may be found at "01102-POSIX15897". Unicode Consortium.

Conventions worldwide

Decimal separators:   Dot (.)   Comma (,)   Both (may vary by location or other factors)   Arabic decimal separator (٫‎)   Data unavailable
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Hindu–Arabic numerals

Countries using decimal comma

Countries where a comma "," is used as decimal separator include:

  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cameroon
  • Canada (when using French)
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • East Timor
  • Ecuador
  • Estonia
  • Faroes
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Georgia
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Italy
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau (in Portuguese text)
  • Mauritania
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia (uses both marks)
  • The Netherlands
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Suriname
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Ukraine
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zimbabwe

Countries using decimal point

Countries where a dot "." is used as decimal separator include:

  • Australia
  • Bahamas, The
  • Bangladesh
  • Botswana
  • British West Indies
  • Cambodia
  • Canada (when using English)
  • China
  • Cyprus (currency numbers)
  • Dominican Republic
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Korea, North
  • Korea, South
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Macau (in Chinese and English text)
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia (uses both marks)
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Peru (currency numbers)
  • Philippines
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Singapore
  • Somalia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States (including insular areas)

Notes:

  1. The comma as a decimal separator is the national literary convention, but many places use the dot as decimal separator due to prevalence of imported tech that internally uses dot as the decimal separator (because the tech usually utilizes the dot decimal separator convention of the country where it was made, which is mostly USA-&-ASCII-oriented, or is made in China where the dot is utilized as a decimal separator). To sum up, the comma is the conventional decimal separator in Bulgaria, but both the comma and the dot are in de facto usage.
  2. The comma as a decimal separator is the national literary convention, but many places use the dot as decimal separator due to prevalence of imported tech that internally uses dot as the decimal separator (because the tech usually utilizes the dot decimal separator convention of the country where it was made, which is mostly USA-&-ASCII-oriented, or is made in China where the dot is utilized as a decimal separator). To sum up, the comma is the conventional decimal separator in Mongolia, but the dot is more commonly used.
  3. ^ According to several software developers.
  4. ^ The decimal point is used in some cantons (for example the Canton of St. Gallen) and is used in IT and for currency. The decimal comma is used for federal publications and some cantons.

Other numeral systems

Unicode defines a decimal separator key symbol (⎖ in hex U+2396, decimal 9110) which looks similar to the apostrophe. This symbol is from ISO/IEC 9995 and is intended for use on a keyboard to indicate a key that performs decimal separation.

In the Arab world, where Eastern Arabic numerals are used for writing numbers, a different character is used to separate the integer and fractional parts of numbers. It is referred to as an Arabic decimal separator (U+066B, rendered: ٫‎) in Unicode. An Arabic thousands separator (U+066C, rendered: ٬‎) also exists. Example: ۹٬۹۹۹٫۹۹‎ (9,999.99)

In Persian, the decimal separator is called momayyez. The Unicode Consortium's investigation concluded that "computer programs should render U+066B as a shortened, lowered, and possibly more slanted slash (٫); this should be distinguishable from the slash at the first sight." To separate sequences of three digits, an Arabic thousands separator (rendered as: ٬), a Latin comma, or a blank space may be used; however this is not a standard. Example: ۹٬۹۹۹٫۹۹ (9,999.99)

In English Braille, the decimal point, ⠨, is distinct from both the comma, ⠂, and the full stop, ⠲.

Examples of use

The following examples show the decimal separator and the thousands separator in various countries that use the Arabic numeral system.

Style Countries and regions
1,234,567.89 Australia, Cambodia, Canada (English-speaking; unofficial), China, Cyprus (currency numbers), Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Macau (in Chinese and English text), Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru (currency numbers), Philippines, Singapore, South Africa (English-speaking; unofficial), Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states except Mozambique, United States.
1234567.89 Canada (English-speaking; official), China, Estonia (currency numbers), Hong Kong (in education), Mexico, Namibia, South Africa (English-speaking; unofficial), Sri Lanka, Switzerland (in federal texts for currency numbers only), United Kingdom (in education), United States (in education). SI style (English version) but SI doesn't include currency.
1234567,89 Albania, Belgium (French), Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada (French-speaking), Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy (in education), Latin America, Latin Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau (in Portuguese text), Mozambique, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia (informal), Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa (official), Spain (official use since 2010, according to the RAE and CSIC), Sweden, Switzerland (in federal texts, except currency numbers), Ukraine, Vietnam (in education). SI style (French version) but SI doesn't include currency.
1.234.567,89 Austria, Belgium (Dutch), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil (informal and in technology), Chile, Colombia, Croatia (in bookkeeping and technology), Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Latin America (informal), Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain (used until 2010, inadvisable use according to the RAE and CSIC), Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam.
1,234,567·89 Malaysia, Malta, Philippines (uncommon today), Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom (older, typically handwritten; in education)
12,34,567.89 Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan (see Indian numbering system).
1234567.89
1'234'567.89 Switzerland (computing), Liechtenstein.
1'234'567,89 Switzerland (handwriting), Italy (handwriting).
1.234.567'89 Spain (handwriting, used until 1980s, inadvisable use according to the RAE and CSIC).
  • In Belgium (Dutch), Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and much of Europe: 1234567,89 or 1.234.567,89. In handwriting, 1˙234˙567,89 is also seen, but never in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia or Sweden. In Italy, a straight apostrophe is also used in handwriting: 1'234'567,89. In the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium, the points thousands separator is used, and is preferred for currency amounts, but the space is recommended by some style guides, mostly in technical writing.
  • In Estonia, currency numbers often use a dot "." as the decimal separator, and a space as a thousands separator. This is most visible on shopping receipts and in documents that also use other numbers with decimals, such as measurements. This practice is used to better distinguish between prices and other values with decimals. An older convention uses dots to separate thousands (with commas for decimals) — this older practice makes it easier to avoid word breaks with larger numbers.
  • Historically, in Germany and Austria, thousands separators were occasionally denoted by alternating uses of comma and point, e.g. 1.234,567.890,12 for "eine Milliarde 234 Millionen ...", but this is never seen in modern days and requires explanation to a contemporary German reader.
  • Switzerland: There are two cases: An apostrophe as a thousands separator along with a dot "." as the decimal separator are used for currency values (for example: 1'234'567.89). For other values, the SI-style 1234567,89 is used with a comma "," as the decimal separator. The apostrophe is also the most common variety for non-currency values: 1'234'567,89 —.
  • In Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea (both), Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States: 1,234,567.89 or 1,234,567·89; the latter is generally found only in older, and especially handwritten documents.
  • English Canada: There are two cases: The preferred method for currency values is $10,000.00 —while for numeric values, it is 1234567.89; however, commas are also sometimes used, although no longer taught in school or used in official publications.
  • SI style: 1234567.89 or 1234567,89 (in their own publications, the dot "." is used in the English version, and the comma "," in the official French version).
  • In China, comma and space are used to mark digit groups, because dot is used as decimal separator. There is no universal convention on digit grouping, so both thousands grouping and no digit grouping can be found. Japan and Taiwan are similar; although when grouping by myriads, kanji or characters are frequently used as separators: 1億2345万6789 / 1億2345萬6789. Commas are used when grouping by thousands.
  • In India, due to a numeral system using lakhs (lacs) (1,23,456 equal to 123,456) and crores (1,23,45,678 equal to 12,345,678), a comma is used at levels of thousand, lakh, and crore. For example, 10 million (1 crore) would be written as 1,00,00,000. In Pakistan, there is a greater tendency to use the standard western system, while using the Indian numbering system when conducting business in Urdu.
  • In Sweden, the currency sometimes used the colon as decimal separator (1 234 567:89).
Indian value Value Equivalent western notation
One 1 One
Ten 10 Ten
Hundred 100 Hundred
Thousand 1,000 Thousand
Lakh 1,00,000 One hundred thousand
Crore 1,00,00,000 Ten million
Arab (not normally used) 1,00,00,00,000 One short billion (one thousand million)
Kharab (not normally used) 1,00,00,00,00,000 One hundred short billion
Lakh crore 10,00,00,00,00,000 One short trillion (one long (European) billion)

Unicode characters

Used with Western Arabic numerals (0123456789):

  • U+0020   SPACE
  • U+0027 ' APOSTROPHE (&apos;)
  • U+002C , COMMA (&comma;)
  • U+002E . FULL STOP (&period;) - Full stop punctuation mark.
  • U+00B7 · MIDDLE DOT (&middot;, &CenterDot;, &centerdot;)
  • U+2009   THIN SPACE (&thinsp;, &ThinSpace;)
  • U+202F   NARROW NO-BREAK SPACE
  • U+02D9 ˙ DOT ABOVE (&DiacriticalDot;, &dot;)

Used with Eastern Arabic numerals (٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩):

  • U+066B ٫ ARABIC DECIMAL SEPARATOR
  • U+066C ٬ ARABIC THOUSANDS SEPARATOR

Used with keyboards:

  • U+2396 ⎖ DECIMAL SEPARATOR KEY SYMBOL (resembles an apostrophe)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Great Britain and the United States are two of the few places in the world that use a period to indicate the decimal place. Many other countries use a comma instead. The decimal separator is also called the radix character. Likewise, while the U.K. and U.S. use a comma to separate groups of thousands, many other countries use a period instead...
  2. As an example, the DR-DOS DEBUG H command displays the entered number in hexadecimal, decimal, octal and binary notation:
    -h 1234
    1234 #4660 \011064 %0001.0010.0011.0100
  3. ^ As an example, the DR-DOS DEBUG D command dumps the memory byte-wise in hexadecimal notation, with bytes separated by spaces and groups of eight bytes separated by hyphens:
    -d 0
    1234:0000  57 69 6B 69 70 65 64 69-61 20 68 65 6C 70 73 21   Misplaced Pages helps!
    
  4. ... when writing numbers more than four figures, these will be grouped into threes, starting from the right, and separating the groups by whitespace. (Exceptions: Never written with periods, commas or white separation numbers that refer to years, pages, verses, urban roads, postal codes, legal articles, decrees or laws.)

References

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