The order in which you write x- and y-coordinates in an ordered pair is very important. The x-coordinate always comes first, followed by the y-coordinate. As you can see in the coordinate grid below, the ordered pairs (3,4) and (4,3) are two different points!

Which goes first longitude or latitude?

Handy tip: when giving a co-ordinate, latitude (north or south) always precedes longitude (east or west). Latitude and longitude are divided in degrees (°), minutes (') and seconds (“).

How do I write coordinates?

Write the latitude and longitude coordinates.

When writing latitude and longitude, write latitude first, followed by a comma, and then longitude. For example, the above lines of latitude and longitude would be written as "15°N, 30°E."