What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
decile
Example
The top decile of students in the class received an A grade. [decile: noun]
Example
The decile score for this income bracket is 7, meaning that 70% of households have lower incomes. [decile: adjective]
percentile
Example
The child's height is in the 90th percentile for his age group. [percentile: noun]
Example
Her test score was in the 75th percentile, meaning she scored higher than 75% of the other test-takers. [percentile: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Percentile is more commonly used than decile in everyday language, especially in healthcare and education. Decile is more commonly used in finance and economics.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between decile and percentile?
Both decile and percentile are formal terms used in technical and academic contexts. They are not commonly used in informal conversations.
