When to Use \frac and \dfrac in LaTeX (With Examples)

When writing fractions in LaTeX, we often use the \frac command. But you may have noticed that in some cases the fraction appears small, while in other cases it looks bigger and clearer.

The main reason behind this difference lies in the distinction between \frac and \dfrac.

Now let me explain this to you in a very simple way, step by step.

What does \frac do?

\frac{a}{b} is the standard command for writing fractions. If you use it in inline math (that is, inside $ ... $), the fraction will appear in a smaller size.

\textbf{This is inline:} $\frac{a}{b}$

Here, the fraction is displayed in such a way that the line height doesn’t increase too much. That’s why sometimes it looks a bit cramped.

However, if you use it in display mode (like \[ ... \]), the fraction appears larger, making it much clearer.

What does \dfrac do?

\dfrac is actually the short form of “display fraction.” This means it always renders the fraction in display style, even inside inline math.

\textbf{This is inline:} $\frac{a}{b}$

This time, the fraction looks much larger and clearer.

So, whenever you want a fraction to stand out more in your text or to appear in a neat, large format, using \dfrac is the best choice.

When is it better to use which one?

If you are writing a small fraction inside normal text, then \frac is better (because it won’t take up too much space in the line).

But if you want the fraction to appear larger and clearer inside an equation, or if you want it to really stand out to the reader’s eyes, then \dfrac is the perfect choice.

From my own experience, I’d say that in research papers or academic writing, \dfrac is often used more to keep equations clean and easy to read.

Full Code

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}

Inline with frac: $\frac{a}{b}$

Inline with dfrac: $\dfrac{a}{b}$

Display mode:

\[ \frac{a}{b} \quad \dfrac{a}{b} \]

\end{document}

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