A concise overview of the different names, plug types, and regional standards for power cords used around the world, including common terms such as Europlug, Schuko, mains lead, and IEC cord.
Power cords differ around the world mostly by plug type, socket standard, and sometimes by the local name people use for the cord itself. The practical “name” is usually the plug type letter: Type A, B, C, etc.
Common Power Cord / Plug Names By Region
| Plug type | Common regions | Common description |
|---|---|---|
| Type A | US, Canada, Mexico, Japan | Two flat parallel pins |
| Type B | US, Canada, Mexico, Japan | Two flat pins plus round ground pin |
| Type C | Much of Europe, South America, Asia | “Europlug”; two round pins |
| Type D | India, Nepal, parts of Africa | Three large round pins in triangle |
| Type E | France, Belgium, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia | Two round pins with socket grounding pin |
| Type F | Germany, Netherlands, Spain, much of Europe | “Schuko”; two round pins with side grounding clips |
| Type G | UK, Ireland, Malta, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Gulf states | Three rectangular pins, fused plug |
| Type H | Israel, Palestine | Three pins, modern versions accept round pins |
| Type I | Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina | Two angled flat pins, often with ground |
| Type J | Switzerland, Liechtenstein | Three round pins, Swiss standard |
| Type K | Denmark, Greenland | Two round pins plus grounding pin |
| Type L | Italy, Chile, parts of North Africa | Three round pins in a line |
| Type M | South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini | Large three-round-pin plug |
| Type N | Brazil, South Africa newer standard | Three round pins, compact grounded design |
| Type O | Thailand | Three round pins, Thai standard |
Other names you may hear
- Power cord: Common in the US and Canada.
- Mains lead: Common in the UK and some Commonwealth countries.
- AC cord: Used in electronics/manufacturing contexts.
- Line cord: Technical/manufacturing term.
- IEC cord: A detachable cord with an IEC connector, often used for computers and monitors.
- Kettle lead: UK informal name, usually for an IEC C13 cord, though technically not always accurate.
- Schuko cord: European grounded Type F cord.
- Europlug cord: Slim two-pin Type C cord.
The important thing is that the wall plug differs by country, while the equipment end may be standardized. For example, many computers use an IEC C13 connector on the device side, but the wall end might be Type B in the US, Type G in the UK, Type F in Germany, or Type I in Australia.
