How many ounces are in a pound?

There are exactly 16 ounces (avoirdupois) in one pound. This is the standard ounce used for most everyday weighing in the US and UK.

Are all ounces the same?

No. The avoirdupois ounce (28.3495 g) is used for most purposes. The troy ounce (31.1035 g) is used for precious metals. There are 12 troy ounces in a troy pound, not 16.

How many grams are in a pound?

One avoirdupois pound equals exactly 453.59237 grams. Since there are 16 ounces in a pound, one ounce equals approximately 28.3495 grams.

How Many Ounces in a Pound? (16 oz)

The Quick Answer

There are exactly 16 ounces in one avoirdupois pound. This is the standard pound used in the United States and most English-speaking countries for everyday weighing.

Conversion Formulas

Pounds to ounces: Ounces = Pounds × 16
Ounces to pounds: Pounds = Ounces ÷ 16

Reference Table

Pounds	Ounces	Grams
0.25	4	113.4
0.5	8	226.8
1	16	453.6
2	32	907.2
5	80	2,268.0
10	160	4,535.9

Avoirdupois vs Troy Ounces

The troy ounce (31.1035 g) is heavier than the avoirdupois ounce (28.3495 g) and is used exclusively for precious metals like gold and silver. Confusingly, a troy pound has only 12 troy ounces, making a troy pound (373.2 g) lighter than an avoirdupois pound (453.6 g).

Where This Comes Up

Cooking

Recipes list meat and produce in pounds and ounces. A half-pound burger patty is 8 ounces of ground beef.

Shipping

Postal rates often change at pound increments. A package weighing 20 ounces is 1.25 pounds, potentially crossing a rate threshold.

Baby Weight

Newborn weight is expressed in pounds and ounces. A baby weighing 7 lbs 8 oz weighs 120 ounces total, or about 3.4 kg.

For any weight conversion, use our weight converter.