Stem and Leaf Plot Maker

How to Make a Stem and Leaf Plot

A stem-and-leaf plot organizes numerical data by place value while keeping every observation visible. Start by sorting the values. Next, split each number into a stem and a leaf. For whole numbers, the stem usually contains every digit except the final one, and the leaf contains the ones digit. The value 47 becomes 4 | 7; 132 becomes 13 | 2. Write the stems in order, place each leaf beside the matching stem, and finish with a key that reconstructs a real value.

This stem and leaf plot maker handles those steps automatically. Paste values separated by commas, spaces, semicolons, tabs, or line breaks. The tool sorts the leaves, preserves duplicates, keeps empty stems visible, and calculates descriptive statistics from the same values shown in the plot.

How to Read the Key

The key defines the place value of every leaf. A key of 6 | 2 = 62 means that the stem represents tens and the leaf represents ones. If the key says 1 | 2 = 1.2, the leaf unit is one tenth. Never interpret a stemplot without its key: the same visual entry can represent 62, 6.2, or 620 depending on the chosen unit.

Standard vs. Split Stems

A standard plot uses one row for each stem. It is compact and works well when each stem has only a few leaves. A split-stem plot uses two rows per stem: the first contains leaves 0–4 and the second contains leaves 5–9. Splitting makes a crowded distribution easier to scan without changing the underlying values. Choose “Split stems” when a standard row becomes too dense.

Back-to-Back Stem and Leaf Plots

A back-to-back plot compares two groups on the same stems. Dataset A appears on the left, Dataset B appears on the right, and both sides share the same place-value key. This layout is useful for comparing two classes, treatment groups, seasons, or experiments. Because the original observations remain visible, you can compare center and spread while still spotting repeated values and gaps.

Stem and Leaf Plots with Decimals

Decimals work when the leaf unit is explicit. Auto mode uses 0.1 for values with one meaningful decimal place and 0.01 for values with two or more. You can override that choice when a class assignment requires a specific convention. If the selected unit requires rounding, the tool reports how many values changed and calculates the statistics from the plotted values, so the table and graphic stay consistent.

Negative Numbers

Negative stems use a true minus sign, including the special stem −0 for values from −9 through −1 when the leaf unit is 1. Negative leaves are ordered so the reconstructed values remain numerical. For example, −2 | 3 = −23. The visible key always uses an actual plotted value, removing the ambiguity common in hand-written negative stemplots.

Stem and Leaf Plot vs. Histogram vs. Box Plot

A stem-and-leaf plot keeps every value and works best for small or medium datasets. A histogram groups values into intervals and scales better for large datasets, but individual observations disappear. A box plot compresses a distribution into quartiles, whiskers, and outliers, making comparisons fast but hiding most raw values. Use this page when the exact observations matter; use the Box and Whisker Plot Maker when you want a compact five-number summary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Privacy

Your datasets stay in this browser. The page performs parsing, rounding, statistics, rendering, and file export locally with JavaScript. It does not upload, store, or share the numbers you enter, and it does not require an account.