Six dots look almost the same at small sizes, but they have different jobs. Choosing the right one keeps text looking tidy and helps screen readers and search engines read it correctly.
·
The quick answer
| Dot | Name | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| • | Bullet U+2022 | Start of list items |
| · | Middle dot U+00B7 | Separators between words: Home · About |
| . | Period U+002E | End of sentences, decimals, URLs |
| ⋅ | Dot operator U+22C5 | Multiplication in math: a⋅b |
| ∙ | Bullet operator U+2219 | Math; some use it as a small bullet |
| ・ | Katakana middle dot U+30FB | Japanese text |
Size and height
The period sits on the baseline. The middle dot floats at the middle of lowercase letters. The bullet is at the same height but bigger and heavier, so it's easy to spot at the start of a line. See the visual comparison on our home page, where they're shown in the same font against the same lines.
Separators: use the middle dot
The middle dot is light enough to separate items without shouting. Use spaces on both sides.
Designer · Writer · Austin
For a bolder separator use the bullet instead:
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Math: use the dot operator
For multiplication, ⋅ is the correct character. It's built for formulas, so math software spaces it correctly. Avoid using a period as a multiplication sign, because it looks like a decimal point.
F = m ⋅ a
Questions
Is the interpunct the same as the middle dot?
Yes. Interpunct is the typography name for the middle dot ·, U+00B7.
Can I use • as a separator?
Yes, it's common in footers and product features. It's just heavier than the middle dot.
Why does my middle dot look like a square?
Some fonts, especially monospace and older fonts, draw · as a tiny square. It's still the same character.