Wire gauge converter
Convert AWG to mm² and back, the conversion every electrician doing international work needs. Smaller gauge numbers mean thicker wire.
That's 1.32× as thick as socket circuit cable, while cooker cable is 1.81× thicker. Roughly 19.85 A in free air, depending on insulation and installation.
What it means
What is that wire for?
Current figures are rough guidance only. Real ratings depend on insulation, bundling, ambient temperature and local wiring rules.
Every unit
Your wire in every unit
Learn
Three things worth knowing
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Six gauges halves the area
Every 3 AWG halves the cross-section, and every 6 AWG halves the diameter. 10 AWG is about 5.3 mm², and 16 AWG about 1.3 mm².
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Counting trips through the die
Wire is made by pulling rod through progressively smaller holes. The gauge number is how many times it was pulled, which is why bigger numbers mean thinner wire.
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Gauge is not the whole story
Stranded and solid wire of the same AWG carry different currents, and copper-clad aluminum different again. Always check the cable specification, not just the number.
Shortcuts
Popular wire size conversions
Background
About wire gauge
AWG counts how many times a wire was drawn through a die: more passes means thinner wire, so the number runs backwards. Each step is a fixed ratio, which makes the scale geometric rather than linear.
The rest of the world just states the cross-section in mm².