Pencil Grades and Lead Sizes, Explained
H pencils are hard and light, B pencils soft and dark, and HB (a US No. 2) sits in the middle; mechanical pencil leads come in sizes such as 0.5 and 0.7 mm.
By Antonio SmithamContributing writer.
On this page
The short answer
A pencil grade tells you how hard the core is, which decides how dark the line looks:
- H stands for hardness. A higher H number (2H, 4H) means a harder core and a lighter gray line.
- B stands for blackness. A higher B number (2B, 6B) means a softer core and a darker line.
- HB sits in the middle and is the standard writing pencil.
- F sits between HB and H. It is often read as "fine" or "firm," though it is not actually finer than other grades.
There is no common standard behind these letters, so one brand's 2B can be softer or darker than another's.
Pencil grades explained
The usual scale runs from 9H, very hard and pale, to 9B, very soft and black:
| Grade range | Feel | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 9H to 4H | Very hard, light gray | Fine technical lines, marking |
| 3H to H | Hard | Drafting, light sketch lines |
| F, HB | Medium | Everyday writing |
| B to 3B | Soft | Writing with a darker line, sketching |
| 4B to 9B | Very soft, black | Shading and expressive drawing |
Some makers go further: the reference article lists ranges of 10H to 8B (Koh-i-Noor), 10H to 10B (Mitsubishi) and 10H to 12B (Staedtler).
HB vs 2B pencil
HB is the middle grade and matches the US No. 2 pencil. A 2B is two steps softer: the core is softer, so the line comes out darker. Pick HB for notes and forms, and 2B when you want a bolder line or are sketching.
The US numbers come from a separate system that Conté started, and makers do not all convert it the same way; Faber-Castell's own table, for example, differs from the widely used one.
Mechanical pencil lead sizes
Mechanical pencils name the lead by its diameter:
| Lead size | Common use |
|---|---|
| 0.3 mm | Technical work and fine detail |
| 0.5 mm | General writing and technical work |
| 0.7 mm | General writing |
| 0.9 mm | Students and general writing |
The 0.5 and 0.7 mm sizes are the most common, a balance of fine line and lead strength. Thinner leads break more easily under pressure. The labels are nominal; real leads run a little thicker, and some German brands call 0.3 and 0.9 mm leads 0.35 and 1.0 mm.
Leads come in grades too, so you can load an HB or a 2B lead into the same pencil. Buy refills in the lead size printed on your pencil.
How we count
Grades, scales and lead sizes come from the reference articles listed below. On Wiki Shopping, 64 pencils were listed under office products on October 26, 2026. By the type their listings state, 24 are mechanical pencils, 15 wooden lead pencils and 5 mechanical pencil leads. Of the listings that state a lead size we group, 12 are 0.7 mm and 9 are 0.5 mm.