diff --git a/api/next/56491.txt b/api/next/56491.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..333f92e215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/next/56491.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+pkg math, func Compare(float64, float64) int #56491
+pkg math, func Compare32(float32, float32) int #56491
diff --git a/src/math/all_test.go b/src/math/all_test.go
index 886267bc17..a37bf8a2be 100644
--- a/src/math/all_test.go
+++ b/src/math/all_test.go
@@ -2094,6 +2094,33 @@ var sqrt32 = []float32{
 	-5.0106036182710749e+00,
 }
 
+type compareTest[F float32 | float64] struct {
+	x, y F
+	want int
+}
+
+func compareCases[F float32 | float64]() []compareTest[F] {
+	zero, nan, inf := F(0.0), F(NaN()), F(Inf(0))
+	return []compareTest[F]{
+		{-nan, -inf, -1},
+		{-inf, -nan, 1},
+		{-inf, -Pi, -1},
+		{-Pi, -inf, 1},
+		{-Pi, -zero, -1},
+		{-zero, -Pi, 1},
+		{-zero, 0, -1},
+		{0, -zero, 1},
+		{0, Pi, -1},
+		{Pi, 0, 1},
+		{Pi, inf, -1},
+		{inf, Pi, 1},
+		{inf, nan, -1},
+		{nan, inf, 1},
+		{Pi, Pi, 0},
+		{-nan, -nan, 0},
+	}
+}
+
 func tolerance(a, b, e float64) bool {
 	// Multiplying by e here can underflow denormal values to zero.
 	// Check a==b so that at least if a and b are small and identical
@@ -2261,6 +2288,22 @@ func TestCeil(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCompare(t *testing.T) {
+	// -NaN < -∞ < -3.14 < -0 < 0 < 3.14 < ∞ < NaN
+	for _, c := range compareCases[float64]() {
+		cmp := Compare(c.x, c.y)
+		if cmp != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("Compare(%v, %v) = %d, want %v", c.x, c.y, cmp, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, c := range compareCases[float32]() {
+		cmp := Compare32(c.x, c.y)
+		if cmp != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("Compare32(%v, %v) = %d, want %v", c.x, c.y, cmp, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCopysign(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < len(vf); i++ {
 		if f := Copysign(vf[i], -1); copysign[i] != f {
@@ -3320,6 +3363,22 @@ func BenchmarkCeil(b *testing.B) {
 	GlobalF = x
 }
 
+func BenchmarkCompare(b *testing.B) {
+	x := 0
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		x = Compare(1.5, 2.5)
+	}
+	GlobalI = x
+}
+
+func BenchmarkCompare32(b *testing.B) {
+	x := 0
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		x = Compare32(1.5, 2.5)
+	}
+	GlobalI = x
+}
+
 var copysignNeg = -1.0
 
 func BenchmarkCopysign(b *testing.B) {
diff --git a/src/math/compare.go b/src/math/compare.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3798110072
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/math/compare.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package math
+
+func sign[I int32 | int64](a, b I) int {
+	if a < b {
+		return -1
+	}
+	if a > b {
+		return 1
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
+// Compare compares a and b such that
+// -NaN is ordered before any other value,
+// +NaN is ordered after any other value,
+// and -0 is ordered before +0.
+// In other words, it defines a total order over floats
+// (according to the total-ordering predicate in IEEE-754, section 5.10).
+// It returns 0 if a == b, -1 if a < b, and +1 if a > b.
+func Compare(a, b float64) int {
+	// Perform a bitwise comparison (a < b) by casting the float64s into an int64s.
+	x := int64(Float64bits(a))
+	y := int64(Float64bits(b))
+
+	// If a and b are both negative, flip the comparison so that we check a > b.
+	if x < 0 && y < 0 {
+		return sign(y, x)
+	}
+	return sign(x, y)
+}
+
+// Compare32 compares a and b such that
+// -NaN is ordered before any other value,
+// +NaN is ordered after any other value,
+// and -0 is ordered before +0.
+// In other words, it defines a total order over floats
+// (according to the total-ordering predicate in IEEE-754, section 5.10).
+// It returns 0 if a == b, -1 if a < b, and +1 if a > b.
+func Compare32(a, b float32) int {
+	// Perform a bitwise comparison (a < b) by casting the float32s into an int32s.
+	x := int32(Float32bits(a))
+	y := int32(Float32bits(b))
+
+	// If a and b are both negative, flip the comparison so that we check a > b.
+	if x < 0 && y < 0 {
+		return sign(y, x)
+	}
+	return sign(x, y)
+}