The black dots on dominoes are called pips.

Quick Scoop: What are the black dots on dominoes called?

In traditional domino sets, each tile’s value is shown by small black dots, and these dots are known as pips. Each pip represents one unit, so if a half of a tile has three dots, you say that side has “three pips.”

You’ll see the same word used for the dots on dice and sometimes for suit symbols on playing cards, so it’s a general gaming term, not just a domino thing.

Fast facts

  • The black dots on dominoes are called pips.
  • Pips show the numeric value of each half of the tile.
  • The term is also used for dots on dice and some card markings.

If you ever see a crossword clue like “Black dots on dominoes (4),” the answer they want is PIPS.

TL;DR: The black dots on dominoes are correctly called pips.

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