How to
How to make a dot plot
A dot plot draws one dot for every observation and stacks the dots that share a value. You see the shape of the data and every single value at the same time, which makes it the plot of choice for small data sets, class surveys and anything counted in whole numbers.
- Enter the values. Type or paste your numbers, such as the number of pets in each household. Repeats are fine: they are what make the stacks.
- Or count by category. Switch to Categories with counts to stack dots above labels like Dogs, Cats and Fish.
- Read the summary. The count, minimum, maximum, range, mean, median and mode are listed under the data.
- Adjust the look. Show the count on top of each stack, add a count axis, or change the dot size and color.
- Export. Download PNG or SVG, or copy the image into a worksheet or slide.
How the number line is drawn
When every value is a whole number and the values span 60 or fewer, the axis gets a tick at every whole number from the smallest to the largest value, including the ones with no dots, so gaps in the data stay visible. For decimals or wider ranges the axis uses evenly spaced round numbers, and dots are stacked only when values are exactly equal.
Tip
Measurements with decimals, like 4.37 and 4.41, rarely repeat exactly, so they will not stack. Use Round values to to group them at the precision you care about, or use a histogram, which groups nearby values into bins.
Dot plot or dot chart?
Both names are used for the same picture: one dot per observation on a simple scale, stacked where values repeat. Some books and software also use "dot chart" for a different layout, with one dot per category on a value scale and the category names listed down the side. This maker draws the stacked kind taught in statistics classes. For one value per category, a horizontal bar graph answers the same question.
Dot plot or bar graph?
For counts by category the two show the same thing. The dot plot makes each observation countable, which suits a class survey; a bar graph reads better when the counts are large. To compare the spread of several groups of numbers, use a box plot.
Questions people ask
What should a dot plot look like?
A number line or a row of categories along the bottom, and one dot for every observation, stacked straight up above its value. The dots are the same size and evenly spaced, so the height of each stack can be compared like a bar. Label the axis, give the plot a title, and say what one dot stands for if it is not obvious.
How do I create a dot plot?
Draw a number line that covers your smallest and largest values. For each observation, put a dot above its value; when a value repeats, put the new dot on top of the last one. With this maker you type or paste the values and the dots are stacked for you, then you download the plot as PNG or SVG.
How do I create a simple dot plot in Excel?
Excel has no dot plot chart type. The usual workaround is a scatter chart: next to each value, count how many times it has appeared so far (1 for the first, 2 for the second, and so on), plot the values as X and those counts as Y, and hide the vertical axis. Pasting the values here is quicker, and the stacking is done for you.