Stem and Leaf Plot Generator

Paste your data to get an ordered stem-and-leaf plot with a key. The generator picks a sensible leaf unit automatically, handles decimals and negative numbers, and can split stems to stretch out crowded data.

How to Make a Stem and Leaf Plot

  1. Sort the data from smallest to largest.
  2. Split every value into a stem (all but the last digit) and a leaf (the last digit). For 74, the stem is 7 and the leaf is 4.
  3. List every stem from the smallest to the largest in a column, including stems with no leaves.
  4. Write each leaf to the right of its stem, in increasing order.
  5. Add a key such as "7 | 4 = 74" so readers know the place value of the leaves.

Worked Example: 20 Exam Scores

Click Load example to plot these scores: 62, 67, 71, 74, 75, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 98.

6 | 2 7
7 | 1 4 5 8 9
8 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9
9 | 0 1 3 5 8
Key: 9 | 8 = 98
  1. There are 20 leaves, so the median is the average of the 10th and 11th: (83 + 84) ÷ 2 = 83.5.
  2. The range is 98 − 62 = 36.
  3. The longest row is the 80s, and the plot trails off toward the 60s: a mild left skew.

Turn the same plot on its side and it becomes a histogram with bins of width 10: except that a stem-and-leaf plot keeps every original value.

Split Stems, Decimals, and Negative Numbers

  • Split stems: when a few stems hold most of the data, list each stem twice (leaves 0–4 on the first line, 5–9 on the second) to reveal more shape.
  • Decimals: with a leaf unit of 0.1, the value 4.7 has stem 4 and leaf 7. Values with more decimal places are rounded to the leaf unit.
  • Large numbers: with a leaf unit of 10, the value 1,340 has stem 13 and leaf 4 (the ones digit is dropped).
  • Negative numbers: stems carry the sign, and a separate "−0" stem holds values between −9 and −1 (for a leaf unit of 1).

Related Guides and Calculators

A stem-and-leaf plot keeps every value; a histogram groups the values into bins and a box plot (see how to make a box plot) shows the quartiles and outliers. The frequency distribution calculator tabulates the counts, the five-number summary gives the minimum, quartiles and maximum, and the descriptive statistics calculator reports the center and spread. To describe the shape you see, read skewness and kurtosis explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you read a stem and leaf plot?

Combine each stem with each of its leaves using the key. With the key 7 | 4 = 74, the row '7 | 1 4 5' represents the values 71, 74, and 75. Count the leaves to get the number of data values.

How do you find the median from a stem and leaf plot?

Count the total number of leaves n. Because the leaves are in order, count from the top to position (n + 1)/2. If n is even, average the two middle values: for 20 values, the 10th and 11th.

What is the key in a stem and leaf plot?

The key states the place value of the leaves, such as '3 | 2 = 32' or '3 | 2 = 3.2'. Without it, the same plot could describe data that differ by a factor of ten.

When should I use a stem and leaf plot instead of a histogram?

Use a stem and leaf plot for small data sets, roughly 15 to 100 values, when you want to keep every individual value visible. For larger data sets a histogram is easier to read.

What does a split stem and leaf plot mean?

Each stem appears on two lines: the first holds leaves 0–4 and the second leaves 5–9. It doubles the number of rows, which helps show the shape of data that would otherwise crowd into only a few stems.

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