# \dot

Used to place a single dot accent over a symbol or grouped expression, often for time derivatives.

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/dot

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Topic | [Accents](https://texform.dev/latex/topics/accents) |
| Packages | base |
| Allowed mode | math |
| Tags | decoration |
| Commonality | high |
| Kind | prefix |

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: `m`

Used to place a single dot accent over a symbol or grouped expression, often for time derivatives.

## Common tasks

### How to write a Newtonian time derivative

```latex
\dot{x}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cdot%7Bx%7D)

### How to write a second time derivative

Use \ddot for two dots; \dot is a single over-dot accent.

```latex
\ddot{x}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cddot%7Bx%7D)

### How to put a dot on a Greek letter

```latex
\dot{\theta}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cdot%7B%5Ctheta%7D)

## Examples

```latex
\dot{x}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cdot%7Bx%7D)

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | full |

## Usage frequency

1.93% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 29 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

TeXForm parses this entry as prefix syntax; the package determines its argument specification.

## See also

- [\\acute](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/acute)
- [\\bar](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/bar)
- [\\breve](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/breve)
- [\\check](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/check)
- [\\ddddot](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/ddddot)
- [\\dddot](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/dddot)
- [\\ddot](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/ddot)
- [\\grave](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/grave)
- [\\hat](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/hat)
- [\\mathring](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/mathring)
- [\\tilde](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/tilde)
- [\\vec](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/vec)
- [\\widehat](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/widehat)
- [\\widetilde](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/widetilde)

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \dot{a} | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| \dot a | Positive: bare[0] | Pass | Pass | Pass |