Round to the Nearest Tenth Calculator

Enter any number and round it to the nearest tenth (1 decimal place) by examining the hundredths digit, with a detailed step-by-step explanation.

Enter a Number

Result

Rounded to Nearest Tenth
5.7
1 decimal place
Original Number 5.678
Rounded Number 5.7
Difference 0.022
Direction Rounded Up

Step-by-Step Solution

round(5.678, 1 decimal place) = 5.7

How to Round to the Nearest Tenth

Rounding to the nearest tenth means rounding a number to exactly 1 decimal place. The tenths place is the first digit after the decimal point. To determine which way to round, you look at the hundredths digit (the second digit after the decimal point).

The Rounding Rule

To round to the nearest tenth:

  • Locate the tenths digit (1st decimal place).
  • Look at the hundredths digit (2nd decimal place) to decide.
  • If the hundredths digit is 5 or greater, round the tenths digit up.
  • If the hundredths digit is less than 5, keep the tenths digit the same.
  • Drop all digits after the tenths place.

Examples

5.678 rounds to 5.7

The hundredths digit is 7, which is 5 or greater, so the 6 rounds up to 7.

Hundredths digit: 7 >= 5 => round up

3.14 rounds to 3.1

The hundredths digit is 4, which is less than 5, so the 1 stays as 1.

Hundredths digit: 4 < 5 => keep 1

2.95 rounds to 3.0

The hundredths digit is 5, round up. The 9 becomes 10, carrying over.

Hundredths digit: 5 >= 5 => carries over

8.04 rounds to 8.0

The hundredths digit is 4, which is less than 5, so the 0 stays as 0.

Hundredths digit: 4 < 5 => keep 0

When to Round to the Nearest Tenth

  • Temperature: Weather reports often give temperatures to one decimal place (e.g., 98.6 degrees F).
  • Measurements: Many rulers and scales measure to the nearest tenth of a unit.
  • GPA: Some schools report GPA to one decimal place (e.g., 3.5).
  • Sports: Times and scores in athletics are frequently rounded to the nearest tenth of a second.
  • Science: Lab measurements are commonly expressed to one decimal place based on instrument precision.

Tenths vs. Tens

It is important not to confuse "rounding to the nearest tenth" with "rounding to the nearest ten." The tenth refers to the first decimal place (0.1), while ten refers to a place value of 10. For example:

  • 47.86 rounded to the nearest tenth = 47.9
  • 47.86 rounded to the nearest ten = 50

Tips for Accurate Rounding

  • Only look at the hundredths digit to decide -- ignore all digits beyond it.
  • If there is no hundredths digit, the number is already at or fewer than 1 decimal place.
  • Always write the result with exactly 1 decimal place, even if it ends in 0 (e.g., 3.0).
  • Watch for carry-over cases like 9.95 rounding to 10.0.