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).

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.

Embed This Calculator

Add this free calculator to your course page or LMS.

Adjust the height value to fit your page.