Decimal degrees, DMS and DDM: what’s the difference?
Latitude and longitude can be written in more than one way. The location is the same, but the format can look different depending on the map, GPS device, spreadsheet or system you are using.
Three common WGS 84 formats are decimal degrees, degrees and decimal minutes, and degrees, minutes and seconds. If you need to move coordinates between tools, it helps to know the difference.
Decimal degrees
Decimal degrees are often used by online maps, navigation platforms and spreadsheets. A coordinate in decimal degrees might look like this:
51.5072, -0.1276
This format is compact and easy to paste into many digital tools.
Degrees and decimal minutes
Degrees and decimal minutes, sometimes called DDM, split the coordinate into degrees and minutes. This format is often used in navigation, aviation, marine and GPS workflows.
Degrees, minutes and seconds
Degrees, minutes and seconds, often called DMS, split the location further into seconds. It can look more familiar in traditional mapping contexts, but it is less convenient for spreadsheets and some digital systems.
Why convert between them?
Different teams and tools often need different coordinate formats. A field team might receive coordinates in one format, while a mapping platform needs another. A spreadsheet might use decimal degrees, while a report or GPS device uses DMS.
The what3words Coordinate Converter lets you convert between WGS 84 decimal degrees, WGS 84 degrees and decimal minutes, WGS 84 degrees, minutes and seconds, plus formats including British National Grid, OS Grid References, UTM, MGRS, USNG, Web Mercator, Plus Codes, Geohashes and what3words addresses.
what3words addresses are based on coordinates so it’s easy to convert between the words and your preferred coordinate system.