A decimal separator is a symbol used to separate 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.

What is used as a separator for decimal number?

The usage of comma(,) as a decimal separator is most common in European countries. In countries with a decimal separator as 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.

What does the decimal separate?

A decimal number is a number that consists of a whole number and a fractional part. The decimal point separates the whole number from the fractional part. In the number 258.16, the decimal point separates the whole number 258 from the fractional part 16, which is 16 hundredths.