Plug types A to O
Fifteen socket shapes cover the world. Here is what each one is, what it is rated for, and where you will meet it.
Compare the shapes
Type A
62 countries
Type B
58 countries
Type C
147 countries
Type D
33 countries
Type E
53 countries
Type F
81 countries
Type G
56 countries
Type H
2 countries
Type I
22 countries
Type J
4 countries
Type K
8 countries
Type L
12 countries
Type M
16 countries
Type N
3 countries
Type O
1 country
The full list
Type A — NEMA 1-15, “US 2-pin”
2 flat blades, 6.35 mm wide, 12.7 mm apart
15 A / 125 V · No earth
Type B — NEMA 5-15
2 flat blades plus 1 round earth pin
15 A / 125 V · Earthed
Type C — CEE 7/16, Europlug
2 round pins, 4 mm diameter, 19 mm apart
2.5 A / 250 V · No earth
Type D — BS 546 (5 A)
3 round pins, 5.08 mm, in a triangle
5 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type E — CEE 7/5
2 round pins, 4.8 mm, plus a male earth pin in the socket
16 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type F — CEE 7/3, Schutzkontakt
2 round pins, 4.8 mm, with earth clips on the socket rim
16 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type G — BS 1363
3 rectangular pins in a triangle, with a fuse in the plug
13 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type H — SI 32
3 flat pins in a Y shape
16 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type I — AS/NZS 3112, CPCS-CCC
2 flat blades in a V, plus a vertical earth blade
10 A or 15 A / 250 V · Earthed (most sockets)
Type J — SN 441011
3 round pins, offset, 4 mm
10 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type K — DS 60884-2-D1, Afsnit 107-2-D1
2 round pins plus a half-round earth pin
10 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type L — CEI 23-16/VII
3 round pins in a row, 4 mm and 5 mm versions
10 A or 16 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type M — BS 546 (15 A)
3 large round pins, 7.06 mm, in a triangle
15 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type N — IEC 60906-1
2 round pins plus earth, hexagonal recess
16 A / 250 V · Earthed
Type O — TIS 166-2549
2 round pins plus a round earth pin
16 A / 250 V · Earthed
How to read plug names
The letters A to O are not an official standard. They were popularised by the US government’s world plug guide in the 1980s and are now used by everyone from travel bloggers to appliance makers, even though the International Electrotechnical Commission writes its standards by number (BS 1363, CEE 7/3, NEMA 5-15).
That means two things worth remembering. First, a letter tells you the shape, not the voltage: a Type A socket in Japan runs at 100 V, while the same shape in Mexico runs at 127 V. Second, some countries have several types in circulation, often because of colonial history or a change of standard — South Africa’s Type M and Type N sockets sit side by side for exactly that reason.