---
title: "range"
space: "Student Handbook"
url: "https://portal.cs17.org/student-handbook/python-manual/built-in-functions/range"
updated: "2026-10-05"
---

Makes a sequence of whole numbers, most often for a `for` loop.

## Synopsis

```python
range(stop)
range(start, stop)
range(start, stop, step)
```

## Description

`range(3)` gives 0, 1 and 2. It starts at 0 and stops **before** `stop`.

`for i in range(n):` is how Python repeats something `n` times, like Scratch's **repeat** block.

## Parameters

| Name | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `start` | The first number. The default is 0. |
| `stop` | The number to stop before. It is not included. |
| `step` | How much to add each time. The default is 1. It can be negative. |

## Return value

A `range`. Wrap it in `list(...)` to see all the numbers at once.

## Example

```python
for i in range(3):
    print(i)
print(list(range(1, 4)))
print(list(range(10, 0, -3)))
```

It prints:

```text
0
1
2
[1, 2, 3]
[10, 7, 4, 1]
```

## Common mistake

```python
for i in range(1, 3):
    print(i)
```

It prints:

```text
1
2
```

Only 1 and 2. `stop` is never included, so to count 1 to 3 write `range(1, 4)`.

## See also

[len](/student-handbook/python-manual/built-in-functions/len), [Indexing and slicing](/student-handbook/python-manual/lists/indexing-and-slicing)

[range in the Python documentation](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#func-range)