Unit converter
Ounces to Pounds Converter
This tool converts ounces into pounds. There are sixteen ounces in a pound, so one ounce is exactly 0.0625 of a pound, a sixteenth. The pairing matters when reading recipe weights written in ounces, weighing post and parcels against pound-based postage bands, recording a newborn baby in pounds and ounces, or buying meat and cheese at a counter that prices by the pound. Enter the ounce amount and the pound figure shows immediately, with a table of the values shoppers and cooks reach for most.
1 ounce = 0.0625 pounds
Common ounces to pounds values
| Ounces | Pounds |
|---|---|
| 1 oz | 0.0625 lb |
| 2 oz | 0.125 lb |
| 5 oz | 0.3125 lb |
| 10 oz | 0.625 lb |
| 20 oz | 1.25 lb |
| 50 oz | 3.125 lb |
| 100 oz | 6.25 lb |
How to convert
- Take the weight in ounces.
- Divide by 16 to get pounds, because sixteen ounces fill one pound.
- Dividing by 16 is the same as multiplying by 0.0625, the exact fraction of a pound an ounce represents.
- Going the other way, multiply pounds by 16 to return to ounces.
- For a mental shortcut, treat 8 oz as half a pound and 4 oz as a quarter.
pounds = ounces / 16
The avoirdupois pound is defined as sixteen ounces, so each ounce is one sixteenth of a pound, namely 0.0625 lb exactly. Dividing an ounce figure by 16 gives pounds; multiplying pounds by 16 reverses it. No measured constant is involved, only the definition.
- oz
- the weight in ounces you start with
- 16
- ounces in one avoirdupois pound, by definition
Worked example
A 24 oz block of cheese is 24 divided by 16, which is 1.5 lb, or one pound eight ounces. A 6 oz portion of pasta comes to 0.375 lb, just over a third of a pound.
Key facts
- One pound is exactly 16 ounces; one ounce is 0.0625 lb.
- Eight ounces is half a pound; four ounces is a quarter.
- The avoirdupois ounce is about 28.35 grams.
- Babies are commonly recorded in pounds and ounces in the UK and US, such as 7 lb 9 oz.
Tips
- Memorise the quarters: 4, 8 and 12 oz are a quarter, half and three quarters of a pound.
- When a recipe lists 16 oz of an ingredient, read it straight as one pound rather than converting.
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds in 1 oz?+
One ounce is 0.0625 pounds, exactly one sixteenth.
How many ounces make a pound?+
Sixteen. This is the avoirdupois pound used for everyday weights of food and goods.
How do I write a weight as pounds and ounces?+
Divide the ounces by 16; the whole number is the pounds and the leftover ounces are the remainder. So 40 oz is 2 lb 8 oz.
Is the troy ounce the same?+
No. The troy ounce, used for precious metals, is heavier, and there are only twelve troy ounces in a troy pound. This tool uses the everyday avoirdupois ounce.
Things to watch
- Keep avoirdupois and troy ounces apart; gold quoted per troy ounce uses a different, heavier unit.
- Fluid ounces measure volume, not weight, so do not feed a drink size into this weight tool.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-01-01
Conversions use internationally defined factors. Provided for general use; verify critical measurements independently.