Rounding Calulator

Rounding at a glance#

A rounding calculator replaces a number with a simpler nearby value, rounded to the nearest 10, 100, whole number, or a set number of decimal places. The round-half-up rule decides the digit: look at the digit just after the place you are keeping. If it is 5 or more, round up; if it is less than 5, round down.

So 47 rounds to 50 at the nearest 10, and 2.5 rounds up to 3 at the nearest whole number. Rounding 3.14159 to 2 decimal places gives 3.14, because the next digit is 1.

The same rule works for the nearest cent (2 decimal places of currency) and for negative numbers, where the value still moves to the closest option. Significant figures follow the round-half-up rule too, just counted from the first non-zero digit.

Enter your number and the place you want in the calculator above for the exact rounded value. Some fields and currencies use other rules, such as rounding half to even, so a banking total can differ from plain round-half-up.

The round-half-up rule#

To round, look at the digit just after the place you are keeping. If it is 5 or more, round up; if it is less than 5, leave the kept digit as it is and drop the rest. Rounding 47 to the nearest 10 gives 50, because the next digit is 7. Rounding 3.24 to the nearest tenth gives 3.2, because the next digit is 4.

Rounding to decimal places#

The nearest tenth keeps one decimal place, the nearest hundredth keeps two, and the nearest thousandth keeps three. Rounding 0.1234 to the nearest hundredth gives 0.12, since the thousandths digit is 3. Rounding 1.256 to the nearest hundredth gives 1.26, since the next digit is 6. The nearest cent is just the nearest hundredth of a currency value, so $3.567 rounds to $3.57.

Rounding to tens, hundreds, and thousands#

The same rule works for whole-number places. Rounding 31,769 to the nearest hundred gives 31,800, because the tens digit is 6. Rounding 7,875,189 to the nearest ten thousand gives 7,880,000, since the thousands digit is 5; to the nearest hundred thousand it gives 7,900,000.

Negative numbers and quick estimates#

Negative numbers follow the same rule, moving to the nearest option. Rounding is also handy for fast mental math: to estimate 838 x 56, round to 800 x 60, which is about 48,000.

Frequently asked questions#

How do you round to the nearest tenth and hundredth?#

For the nearest tenth, keep one decimal and check the second decimal: 1.25 rounds to 1.3. For the nearest hundredth, keep two decimals and check the third: 1.256 rounds to 1.26.

What rounding methods are there?#

The default is round half up. Other methods include round half down and round half to even (bankers rounding), which only change how an exact half is handled.

Can you round negative numbers?#

Yes. Apply the same rule to the size of the number, then keep the minus sign. The value moves to the nearest option just like a positive number.

How do you round to the nearest whole number?#

Look at the first decimal digit. If it is 5 or more, round up; if it is less than 5, round down. So 2.5 rounds to 3 and 2.4 rounds to 2.

What is rounding to the nearest cent?#

It is rounding a money value to two decimal places. For example, $3.567 rounds to $3.57.

How do significant figures relate to rounding?#

Significant figures count from the first non-zero digit. You round to that many figures using the same round-half-up rule, which is common in scientific measurements.