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Bullet Points in LaTeX

Bullet points in LaTeX come from the itemize environment: start each point with \item between \begin{itemize} and \end{itemize}. Use enumerate instead for a numbered list and description for a list of terms. No package is needed for any of the three.

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List commands

  • \begin{itemize} \item First \item Second \end{itemize}
    Text mode, no math preview

    Bulleted list. Each \item starts a new point.

  • \begin{enumerate} \item First \item Second \end{enumerate}
    Text mode, no math preview

    Numbered list: 1., 2., 3.

  • \begin{description} \item[Term] Definition \end{description}
    Text mode, no math preview

    List of terms; the label in brackets is set in bold.

  • \item[--] Text
    Text mode, no math preview

    Replace the bullet or number of a single item.

  • \renewcommand{\labelitemi}{$\star$}
    Text mode, no math preview

    Change the first-level bullet for the whole document (\labelitemii for level two).

  • \begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
    Text mode, no math preview

    Letters (a), (b), (c) — needs \usepackage{enumitem}.

  • \begin{itemize}[noitemsep]
    Text mode, no math preview

    Remove the space between items — needs enumitem.

  • \bullet
    ∙

    The bullet symbol inside a formula.

Try it live

Change the formula and the preview redraws as you type. Copy the LaTeX, download a PNG or SVG, copy it for Word, or use Edit here on any example below to load it.

Templates

Bullet points and lists examples

Each result below is drawn from the LaTeX under it. Copy the code, edit it on this page, or open it in the full editor.

  • Default bullets, levels 1 to 4

    ∙ – ∗ ⋅
    LaTeX
    \bullet \qquad \text{–} \qquad \ast \qquad \cdot

    What itemize prints at each nesting level in the standard classes.

    Edit hereOpen in editor

  • Bullet in a formula

    f ∙ g
    LaTeX
    f \bullet g

    \bullet is a binary operator in math mode, so it gets spacing on both sides.

    Edit hereOpen in editor

  • Hollow and star bullets

    ∘ ⋆ ⋄
    LaTeX
    \circ \quad \star \quad \diamond

    Use any of these as a custom label: \item[$\circ$].

    Edit hereOpen in editor

  • Arrow and check bullets

    ▹ → ✓
    LaTeX
    \triangleright \quad \rightarrow \quad \checkmark

    \checkmark comes from amssymb in a document.

    Edit hereOpen in editor

  • Numbering styles

    1. ( a ) i. A.
    LaTeX
    1.\quad (a)\quad \text{i.}\quad \text{A.}

    The four default enumerate labels, from the outer level inwards.

    Edit hereOpen in editor

In a LaTeX document

These commands work in the text of a .tex document (Overleaf, TeX Live, MiKTeX), not inside math. The box on the right shows what the compiled PDF looks like.

  • Bullet points

    LaTeX
    \begin{itemize}
  \item Collect the data
  \item Clean the outliers
  \item Fit the model
\end{itemize}
    Compiled result
    • •Collect the data
    • •Clean the outliers
    • •Fit the model

  • Numbered list

    LaTeX
    \begin{enumerate}
  \item Preheat the oven
  \item Mix the flour and sugar
  \item Bake for 20 minutes
\end{enumerate}
    Compiled result
    • 1.Preheat the oven
    • 2.Mix the flour and sugar
    • 3.Bake for 20 minutes

  • Nested list

    LaTeX
    \begin{itemize}
  \item Fruit
  \begin{itemize}
    \item Apples
    \item Pears
  \end{itemize}
  \item Vegetables
\end{itemize}

    Open the inner list inside an \item. The second level uses an en dash by default.

    Compiled result
    • •Fruit
      • –Apples
      • –Pears
    • •Vegetables

  • Lettered list with enumitem

    LaTeX
    \usepackage{enumitem}  % preamble

\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
  \item Prove the lemma
  \item Apply it to $n = 2$
\end{enumerate}
    Compiled result
    • (a)Prove the lemma
    • (b)Apply it to n = 2

  • Description list

    LaTeX
    \begin{description}
  \item[Input] A PNG or JPG file
  \item[Output] LaTeX code
\end{description}
    Compiled result

    Input A PNG or JPG file

    Output LaTeX code

How to make a list step by step

Pick the environment: itemize for bullet points, enumerate for numbers, description for labelled terms. Put \item in front of every entry; the text runs until the next \item or the end of the environment, so an item can hold several sentences or even a formula.

To nest a list, open a new itemize or enumerate inside an item. LaTeX allows four levels of each; a fifth raises the error "Too deeply nested". Bullets change per level (•, –, ∗, ·) and numbers go 1., (a), i., A.

Custom bullets, labels and spacing with enumitem

For one item, give the label in brackets: \item[$\star$] Important. For a whole list, the enumitem package (\usepackage{enumitem}) takes options: label=\arabic*) gives 1), 2); label=(\roman*) gives (i), (ii); label=$\circ$ changes the bullet.

enumitem also controls spacing: [noitemsep] removes the gap between items, [nosep] removes all vertical space, and \setlist{nosep} in the preamble applies it everywhere. [resume] continues numbering from the previous enumerate.

LaTeX
\usepackage{enumitem}
\setlist[itemize]{label=$\circ$, noitemsep}

Horizontal lists

Loading \usepackage[inline]{enumitem} adds starred environments such as itemize* and enumerate* that keep the items inside the running paragraph, for example "(a) red, (b) green, (c) blue" with \begin{enumerate*}[label=(\alph*)].

Common mistakes

  • An \item outside a list stops compilation with "Lonely \item--perhaps a missing list environment".

    Instead of
    \item First point  (no environment around it)
    Write
    \begin{itemize}
  \item First point
\end{itemize}

  • Markdown dashes and pasted • characters are printed as plain text in LaTeX; they do not make a list.

    Instead of
    - First point
- Second point
    Write
    \begin{itemize}
  \item First point
  \item Second point
\end{itemize}

  • The short form [a)] needs enumitem loaded with the shortlabels option; plain enumitem expects label=\alph*).

    Instead of
    \begin{enumerate}[a)]
    Write
    \usepackage[shortlabels]{enumitem}
\begin{enumerate}[a)]

  • Anything before the first \item triggers "Something's wrong--perhaps a missing \item".

    Instead of
    \begin{itemize}
  Text before the first item
  \item Point
\end{itemize}
    Write
    \begin{itemize}
  \item Point
\end{itemize}

In Overleaf, MathJax and Word

  • Overleaf and pdfLaTeX

    itemize, enumerate and description work in every document class without packages. Add \usepackage{enumitem} for custom labels and spacing. In Beamer slides the same environments work and \item<2-> reveals points one at a time.

  • MathJax and KaTeX

    MathJax and KaTeX only render math, so list environments are not drawn on the web. In Markdown (Obsidian, Jupyter, GitHub) write the list in Markdown with - or 1. and keep LaTeX for the formulas inside the items.

  • Microsoft Word

    Word makes lists with its own Bullets and Numbering buttons. Paste the item text and apply them there; formulas inside the items can be built in the editor above and pasted with Copy for Word.

Bullet points and lists in LaTeX: questions

How do I make bullet points in LaTeX?
Wrap the points in \begin{itemize} and \end{itemize} and start each one with \item. The standard classes print a solid bullet (•) in front of every item.
How do I change the bullet symbol?
For one item write \item[$\star$]. For every first-level item put \renewcommand{\labelitemi}{$\star$} in the preamble, or with enumitem use \begin{itemize}[label=$\star$].
How do I make a numbered list with letters or Roman numerals?
Load enumitem and set the label: \begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)] for (a), (b); [label=\roman*.] for i., ii.; [label=\Alph*.] for A., B.
How do I reduce the space between list items?
With enumitem, add [noitemsep] to one list or \setlist{noitemsep} to the preamble for all lists. [nosep] also removes the space above and below the list.
How do I continue numbering after a paragraph?
Close the first list, write the paragraph, then open the next list with \begin{enumerate}[resume] (enumitem). Numbering picks up where the previous list stopped.

Related LaTeX reference

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