# Whisker

> A chart word, with the charts that use it.

**Definition.** A whisker is the line from a box to the lowest and highest values that are not outliers. It shows how far the usual values reach.

Updated Nov 2, 2026

## 043 · Box plot

- **01 The box.** The middle half of the values.
- **02 The whiskers.** Out to the lowest and highest values that are not outliers.

## Where you see it

- [043 · Box plot](https://usechartory.com/charts/box-plot): Distribution · AI data
- [050 · Dot plot with intervals](https://usechartory.com/charts/dot-plot-with-intervals): Distribution · Logistics data

## Common mistakes

- **Reading whiskers as the full range** Outliers sit beyond them, drawn as dots.
- **Whiskers with no rule** Say how they are drawn, such as 1.5 times the box.

## Questions

### How long is a whisker?

Usually up to 1.5 times the box's height, out to the last value inside that reach.

### Are whiskers the same as error bars?

No. Error bars show uncertainty; whiskers show the spread of the data.

## Related terms

- [Quartile](https://usechartory.com/glossary/quartile): The values that cut sorted data into four equal parts; the box in a box plot.
- [Outlier](https://usechartory.com/glossary/outlier): A value far from the rest, drawn on its own so it is not hidden.
- [Median](https://usechartory.com/glossary/median): The middle value: half the data sits above it, half below.
- [Range](https://usechartory.com/glossary/range): The span between a low and a high value, drawn as one bar or one line.

## Box plot, dot plot with intervals and the other types.

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