Comma vs Semicolon: Which Delimiter?
Side by side
| Comma | Semicolon | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | , | ; |
| Standard in | US, UK, and most software defaults | Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil |
| Conflicts with decimals | Yes where 1,50 means 1.5 | No |
| Excel auto-splits on open | Depends on system locale | Depends on system locale |
| Common in free text | Very — names, addresses, lists | Less, but appears in code and prose |
| The classic symptom | Row split into too many columns | Whole row lands in column A |
When to pick each one
Choose Comma when
- English-locale spreadsheets and most APIs
- Data with no decimal numbers written the European way
- Anything labelled simply "CSV" with no locale note
Choose Semicolon when
- Recipients on a German, French or Spanish Windows locale
- Files where values legitimately contain commas
- Matching an importer that already expects it
Spotting which one you have
Open the file in a plain text editor, not a spreadsheet. The separator is then visible.
- See
a;b;c? It is semicolon-delimited. - See
a,b,c? Comma. - See
1,50;2,75? Semicolon-delimited with decimal commas. Convert the decimals first.
Then use the delimiter converter, count the rows with the line counter, and see all 16 conversions.
Convert between them
Decided? These load the converter already set up for the job.
Or see all 16 delimiter conversions and the full delimiter converter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my CSV open as one column?
The file almost certainly uses semicolons while your spreadsheet expects commas, or the reverse. Your system locale decides which one the spreadsheet assumes. Converting the separator fixes it.
Is a semicolon-separated file still a CSV?
In practice yes — the extension stays .csv and most software calls it CSV. Strictly the C stands for comma, which is why the format is sometimes called DSV, for delimiter-separated values.
What about decimal commas?
Convert those separately and first. If values look like 1,50 then swapping semicolons for commas turns one price into two fields. Replace the decimal commas with points before changing the delimiter.