Ounce to Stone
oz
st
Conversion History
| Conversion | Reuse | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| No conversion history to show. | ||
Quick Reference Table (Ounce to Stone)
| Ounce (oz) | Stone (st) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.00223214285714285714 |
| 1 | 0.00446428571428571429 |
| 2 | 0.00892857142857142857 |
| 4 | 0.01785714285714285714 |
| 8 | 0.03571428571428571429 |
| 16 | 0.07142857142857142857 |
| 32 | 0.14285714285714285714 |
About Ounce (oz)
The avoirdupois ounce (oz) is 1/16 of a pound, equal to approximately 28.35 grams. It is the standard unit for food portions, postal weights, and everyday goods in the United States and, to a declining degree, the United Kingdom. The ounce should not be confused with the fluid ounce (a volume unit) or the troy ounce (31.1 g, used for precious metals). In cooking, most American recipes use ounces for dry ingredients; UK recipes have largely switched to grams. Postal systems in the US still price letters by the ounce.
A standard letter envelope weighs about 0.2 oz. A slice of cheese is roughly 1 oz. A baseball weighs 5–5.25 oz.
Etymology: From the Latin "uncia" (one twelfth), the twelfth of a Roman pound. The avoirdupois ounce (1/16 lb) diverged from the troy ounce (used for metals) in medieval England.
About Stone (st)
The stone (st) is a unit of weight equal to 14 pounds (approximately 6.35 kg), used almost exclusively in the United Kingdom and Ireland for expressing human body weight. A person weighing 70 kg is approximately 11 stone. The stone is rarely used outside body weight — commercial goods, food, and science all use kilograms in the UK. The stone is not part of the metric system and has no formal SI equivalent; its continued use is a cultural habit, particularly in older generations and media coverage of boxing and fitness.
Average UK adult body weight is often quoted as 11–13 stone. A jockey must typically weigh under 8.5 stone to compete.
Etymology: From the practice of using actual stones as counterweights on balance scales. Standardised in England at 14 pounds by the Weights and Measures Act 1835.
Ounce – Frequently Asked Questions
How many ounces are in a pound?
There are exactly 16 ounces (oz) in one avoirdupois pound (lb). This is the standard US and UK system for everyday weights. Note that the troy pound (used for precious metals) contains 12 troy ounces — a different and less common system.
What is the difference between an ounce and a fluid ounce?
An ounce (oz) is a unit of weight (mass); a fluid ounce (fl oz) is a unit of volume. For water at room temperature they happen to be close (1 fl oz of water ≈ 1.04 oz by weight), but for other liquids (oil, honey, milk) the values diverge. Recipes that say "8 oz of flour" mean weight; "8 fl oz of milk" mean volume.
What is a troy ounce?
A troy ounce is 31.1035 grams — heavier than the avoirdupois ounce (28.35 g). Troy ounces are used exclusively for precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium). When gold prices are quoted per ounce, they always mean troy ounces.
Why do US recipes use ounces for solids when the rest of the world uses grams?
American home cooking developed around volume measures (cups, tablespoons) and weight in ounces because kitchen scales were uncommon in US households until recently. The rest of the world adopted metric kitchen scales as part of broader metrication. Ounces persist in US recipes partly because American measuring cup sets are ubiquitous and cheap, and partly because US food packaging lists serving sizes in ounces. Professional American bakeries increasingly use grams for precision, but consumer recipes lag behind because publishers fear alienating home cooks who do not own a scale.
Does the UK still use ounces?
Officially the UK moved to metric in the 1970s–1990s, but ounces persist in informal use, especially in older recipes, market stalls, and body weight conversations. UK supermarkets label food in grams and kilograms; loose goods at markets are increasingly metric. The ounce is no longer a legal unit of trade in the UK for pre-packaged goods.
Stone – Frequently Asked Questions
How many pounds are in a stone?
One stone equals exactly 14 pounds. A person who weighs 10 stone weighs 140 pounds (63.5 kg). To convert stone to kilograms, multiply by 6.35; to convert to pounds, multiply by 14.
Do people outside the UK use stone for weight?
Stone is used in the UK and Ireland for body weight but is virtually unknown elsewhere. Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders — who all once used it — have largely switched to kilograms. Americans use only pounds. If you quote your weight in stone outside the British Isles, expect blank looks.
Why is a stone 14 pounds?
The stone historically varied between 8 and 26 pounds depending on the commodity (wool, meat, cheese). The 14-pound standard was established by the English Weights and Measures Act of 1835, partly because 14 divides evenly into the 28-pound quarter and the 56-pound half-hundredweight.
Is stone used in medical settings in the UK?
The NHS officially uses kilograms in clinical contexts, and most medical equipment is calibrated in kg. However, many patients still report their weight in stone, so UK healthcare professionals routinely work in both systems. Obesity classifications (BMI categories) are always calculated in kilograms.
How do I convert my weight from kilograms to stone and pounds?
Divide your weight in kg by 6.35 to get stone. The whole number is your stone value; multiply the decimal remainder by 14 to get the remaining pounds. Example: 75 kg ÷ 6.35 = 11.81 stone → 11 stone and (0.81 × 14) ≈ 11 lbs, so 75 kg ≈ 11 stone 11 lbs.