Which dot is which
Many dots look alike but do different jobs. The bullet • is the big round dot for lists. The middle dot · (also called the interpunct) is smaller and sits at mid-height; it separates items in a line, as in "Home · About · Contact". The bullet operator ∙ and dot operator ⋅ are math characters for multiplication and dot products (a ⋅ b). The katakana middle dot ・ separates words in Japanese, and the hyphenation point ‧ marks syllable breaks in dictionaries (dic‧tion‧ar‧y).
The ordinary full stop . ends a sentence. Its relatives ｡ and 。 are the halfwidth and fullwidth ideographic full stops of Japanese and Chinese, which many people also use as tiny cute dots in aesthetic text. For list markers in particular, see the bullet point symbol page.
The interpunct: the oldest dot
Before spaces between words became normal, Latin inscriptions separated words with a raised dot, the interpunct. The middle dot still has real uses today. Catalan spells some words with it (col·lecció), and English writers use it as a neat separator in headers, footers and bios ("Designer · Writer · Cat lover"). With a space on each side, it looks lighter than a bullet or a vertical bar.
Dots also make good dividers. Repeat one character, or copy a ready-made line from the list above, to split sections of a bio, a Discord server rules channel or a newsletter. Patterns such as ∴, ⁘ and ⋮ add variety; the divider symbols page has many more.
How to type dot symbols
On a Mac, press Option + 8 for • and Option + Shift + 9 for ·. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0149 for • or 0183 for · on the number pad. On iPhone, the • is on the #+= symbols page; on Android Gboard, tap ?123 and then =\<.
In HTML, use • for the bullet and · for the middle dot. In Word, type 00B7 and press Alt + X for the middle dot. For round shapes larger than a dot, see the circle symbols page.