Quick Answer / Summary: AWG is a logarithmic scale where each step of six numbers doubles the cross-sectional area. 14 AWG measures about 1.63 mm diameter and 2.08 mm squared; 16 AWG about 1.29 mm and 1.31 mm squared. Lower number, thicker wire, lower resistance. Converting to millimetres or square millimetres removes the ambiguity when comparing with metric products.
American Wire Gauge counts backwards: a smaller number means a thicker conductor. That single inversion causes more ordering mistakes than any other detail in speaker cable, and it is the reason 14 AWG is heavier than 16 AWG despite looking like the smaller figure.
What the Number Actually Encodes
The gauge number derives from the number of drawing passes a wire has been through: more passes, thinner wire, higher number. The scale is logarithmic rather than linear, and every six gauge steps doubles the cross-sectional area, which means 12 AWG carries roughly twice the copper of 18 AWG. Resistance scales inversely with area, which is why the resistance table follows the gauge table so closely.
Diameter, Area and Resistance
Fourteen AWG is 1.628 mm in diameter with 2.08 mm squared of copper; sixteen is 1.291 mm with 1.31 mm squared. Resistance follows: about 8.6 and 13.7 milliohms per metre respectively. The area ratio of roughly 1.6 explains the resistance ratio almost exactly.
Stranded Versus Solid at the Same Gauge
AWG describes total conductor area, so a stranded 14 AWG and a solid 14 AWG carry the same current. Stranding changes flexibility and bending radius, not gauge. A listing that quotes strand count without total area has not told you the gauge.
Converting Between AWG and Metric
Metric cable is sold by cross-sectional area in square millimetres, so an AWG-to-metric comparison requires conversion rather than assumption. Fourteen AWG is near 2.0 mm squared, sixteen near 1.3, eighteen near 0.8. Where a supplier lists both, check that they agree; a mismatch between the AWG label and the stated square millimetres is a warning sign about the product’s documentation.
The Nearest-Standard Trap
European sizes of 1.5 and 2.5 mm squared do not convert exactly to AWG. A 1.5 mm squared cable sits between 15 and 16 AWG; 2.5 mm squared sits between 13 and 14. Treat the nearest AWG as approximate and compare resistance per metre for an exact answer.
Reading a Cable Print
A jacket print typically shows gauge, conductor count and rating, for example 14/2 CL2. The first figure is the AWG, the second the conductor count. A print with no gauge at all is the practical warning that the product cannot be verified.
Why the Scale Is Logarithmic
Each three-step increase in AWG halves the cross-sectional area, so the numbers shrink geometrically rather than linearly. That is why 14 to 16 is a modest change while 14 to 20 is a large one, and why gauge tables cannot be extrapolated by simple arithmetic.
AWG 14 and 16 in Numbers
| Property | 14 AWG | 16 AWG |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 1.628 mm | 1.291 mm |
| Area | 2.08 mm squared | 1.31 mm squared |
| Resistance | 8.6 mOhm/m | 13.7 mOhm/m |
| Nearest metric | 2.0 mm squared | 1.3 mm squared |
| Thickness ranking | Thicker | Thinner |
Practical Applications
Comparing a metric cable against an imperial specification, checking that a marketplace listing’s gauge claim is consistent, decoding a jacket print, and explaining to a customer why 14 is heavier than 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 14 AWG thicker than 16 AWG?
Yes. AWG counts backwards, so the lower number is the thicker conductor: 14 AWG is 1.63 mm in diameter against 16 AWG’s 1.29 mm, and carries about sixty percent more copper.
What is 14 AWG in square millimetres?
About 2.08 mm squared. Metric equivalents are approximate: 2.0 or 2.5 mm squared cable is close, and resistance per metre is the reliable comparison.
Does strand count change the gauge?
No. AWG describes total conductor area, so stranded and solid cable of the same gauge carry the same current. Stranding affects flexibility and bending radius only.