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Numbers and letters on the sides of some pencils (Art & Drafting pencils) is used to signify the type of lead that it contains, or more specifically the hardness of that lead. The higher the number/letter combination, the harder the lead. Conversely, the lower the number/letter combination, the softer the lead. The typical pencil (#2 pencil) contains HB Grade lead. PencilPages.com notes (from The Pencil Hardness Test); "The hardest is a 9H, followed by 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, and H. F is the middle of the hardness scale; then comes HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, and 9B, which is the softest. Another grading method uses numbers; the equivalents would be #1=B, #2=HB, #2-1/2=F, #3=H, and #4=2H." The H represents hardness and the B represents blackness.

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16y ago
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15y ago

There are many more pencils than just #2; these are just the most common because they are the standard for writing. Generally the ones you find in most office supply stores and such are 2B. The letter tells you how whether the lead is hard or soft (B or H) and the number refers to the grade of the lead (the higher the number, the more extremely soft or hard it is). Softer pencils make thicker lines that are easier to smudge or erase. If you want to find pencils besides 2B, look in an art supply store or online.

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15y ago

because the H means the pencil is hard and B means the pencil is soft.

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13y ago

it tells you how big the pencil lead stick is a number 2 is thiner than a number 6

pick up ones with different numbers and you will see the difference

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Q: Why is there a number and a word on a pencil?
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