# Print the percentage character with printf() in C

> Learn how to print the percentage character with printf() in C, where a single % gives an incomplete format specifier warning, so write %% instead.

Author: [Flavio Copes](https://flaviocopes.com/about/) | Published: 2020-02-19 | Topics: [C](https://flaviocopes.com/tags/clang/) | Canonical: https://flaviocopes.com/c-print-percentage/

When writing a [C](https://flaviocopes.com/c-introduction/) program you might have the need to print the `%` percentage character using `printf()`.

Perhaps you are working on a program that calculates percentages, which is kind of common when you're just learning the language and you're creating small programs.

How do you do so?

If you try to use it like this:

```c
printf("%");
```

it will not work, and the compiler will give you a warning like

```
hello.c:9:14: warning: incomplete format specifier
      [-Wformat]
  printf("%");
          ^
1 warning generated.
```

and it is not printed.

To make it work, you need to write `%%`, like this:

```c
printf("%%");
```