Choose <, = or > to compare two decimals.
Each question shows two decimals with up to three decimal places. They can have different numbers of places, they can be above or below 1, and some are equal, like 0.5 and 0.50.
Typical level: Grade 4 and beyondIn the U.S. Common Core, Grade 4 compares decimals through hundredths, and Grade 5 extends the work to thousandths. Curriculum timing varies.
Example: 0.8 and 0.75
| Decimal | Ones | Decimal point | Tenths | Hundredths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 0 | 8 | 0 (zero added) | |
| 0.75 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
Zeros added at the end do not change the value.
Line up the decimal points so each place sits over the same place. Then read from the left. The ones match, but the tenths do not: 8 tenths is more than 7 tenths. So 0.8 > 0.75.
0.75 has more digits, but that does not make it larger. 0.8 is the same as 0.80, or 80 hundredths. That is more than 75 hundredths.
Whole numbers come first. If the whole-number parts differ, they decide: 4.1 > 3.95 because 4 is greater than 3.
0.5 and 0.50 are the same amount: 5 tenths is 50 hundredths. So 0.5 = 0.50.
A zero between the point and another digit holds a place. Compare 3.205 and 3.25.
| Decimal | Ones | Decimal point | Tenths | Hundredths | Thousandths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.205 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| 3.25 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 (zero added) |
Zeros added at the end do not change the value.
The ones and tenths match. At the hundredths, 0 is less than 5, so 3.205 < 3.25.
The same idea tells 0.08 and 0.8 apart. 0.08 has no tenths: it is 8 hundredths. 0.8 is 8 tenths. So 0.08 < 0.8.