"Point" vs "period"

Question

"Point" vs "period"

Both 'point' and 'period' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Point' is commonly used in British English to refer to the punctuation mark (.), while 'period' is more commonly used in American English for the same purpose. It's important to use the appropriate term based on the English variant you are using.

Last Updated: March 28, 2024

Use 'point' when referring to the punctuation mark (.) in British English. For example, 'Please put a full stop at the end of the sentence.'

Examples:

She ended her sentence with a point.
The decimal point separates the whole number from the fraction.

Alternatives:

full stop
period
dot
decimal point
period mark

Use 'period' when referring to the punctuation mark (.) in American English. For example, 'In American English, we use a period at the end of a sentence.'

Examples:

She ended her sentence with a period.
The decimal period separates the whole number from the fraction.

Alternatives:

full stop
point
dot
decimal point
period mark

Answer 1

Point

This is correct, especially in British English, to refer to the punctuation mark (.)

Answer 2

period

This is correct, especially in American English, to refer to the punctuation mark (.)

"Point" vs "period"

Point

period

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