ucUnitCloudInternational unit matrix

Mistake guide

Reading Pfund as 500 grams

A Pfund is 500 grams, and the Anglo-American pound is the same thing.

01Assumption

A Pfund is 500 grams, and the Anglo-American pound is the same thing.

02Actually

The pound in the unit list is the Anglo-American pound of exactly 453.59237 grams. In German usage, however, "ein Pfund" usually means 500 grams. The two values differ by about 10 % and are not interchangeable.

03Why

Germany fixed the Pfund as a commercial weight at 500 grams, while Britain and the United States kept the pound at 453.59237 grams. When buying food the difference hardly shows, but when working through recipes from other countries it does.

04Check

Read the unit attached to the figure: lb or pound means 453.59237 g, while Pfund in a German recipe usually means 500 g. When in doubt use the gram figure, because it is unambiguous in both systems.

Matching conversions

Pound to Kilogramlb → kgMassKilogram to Poundkg → lbMassOunce to Gramoz → gMassGram to Ounceg → ozMass

Matching tables

TableMass: kilograms, grams, pounds and ounces

Unit family: Mass

Sources

BIPM SI BrochureSI base units, prefixes and official SI context.NIST Guide to SI Appendix BNIST conversion-factor method and non-SI factors.
When not to use

Do not use as the sole basis for official, medical, safety-critical or contractual decisions.

Citation

Citation note: UnitCloud, mistake guide, sources reviewed: September 2026. Source basis: BIPM SI Brochure · NIST Guide to SI Appendix B.