# What do HB, 2B, 4B and 2H mean on a pencil?

H means a hard lead and a pale line, B a soft lead and a dark line, and the
number says how much. HB sits in the middle: the everyday pencil for writing
and school.

## The letters, in brief

- **H** (hard) — a lead with more clay, a pale line.
- **B** (black) — black and soft: a lead with more graphite, a dark line.
- **HB** (hard black) — the middle: neither hard nor soft.
- **F** (firm) — between H and HB: the middle with a fine point, for precise lines.
- **The number** — the intensity: 4B is softer and blacker than 2B, 4H is harder
  and paler than 2H.

## Every grade, from 9H to 9B

| Grade | Zone | How it draws | Usually for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 9H | very hard | Extremely hard, with a very pale line. | Fine technical drawing, cartography; the point lasts a long time. |
| 8H | very hard | Extremely hard, with a very pale line. | Technical drawing, precision lines. |
| 7H | very hard | Extremely hard, with a pale line. | Technical drawing, fine construction lines. |
| 6H | very hard | Very hard, with a pale line. | Technical drawing, precision sketching. |
| 5H | very hard | Very hard, with a pale line. | Technical drawing, guide lines. |
| 4H | very hard | Very hard, with a pale line. | Technical drawing, crisp outlines. |
| 3H | hard | Hard, with a light line. | Technical sketches, construction lines. |
| 2H | hard | Hard, with a light line. | Sketches, construction lines; the hardest grade in the everyday set. |
| H | hard | Hard leaning to the middle, with a light line. | Precise writing, light technical drawing, fine outlines. |
| F | middle | In the middle, with a fine point. | Writing, fine and precise lines. |
| HB | middle | The middle of the scale. | Writing, school, light sketches — the everyday pencil. |
| B | middle | Middle leaning soft, with a visibly darker line. | Relaxed writing, drawing. |
| 2B | soft | Soft, with a dark line. | Sketches, expressive writing, light hatching. |
| 3B | soft | Soft, with a dark line. | Sketches, light shading, drawing. |
| 4B | very soft | Very soft, with a very dark line. | Shading, hatching, artistic drawing. |
| 5B | very soft | Very soft, with a very dark line. | Shading, expressive effects. |
| 6B | very soft | Very soft, with a very dark line. | Deep shading, bold accents. |
| 7B | very soft | Extremely soft, with a near-black line. | Deep shading, expressive drawing. |
| 8B | very soft | Extremely soft, with a near-black line. | Intense black, dramatic accents. |
| 9B | very soft | Extremely soft, with a near-black line. | The darkest grade on the scale; deepest shading and accents. |

Some makers go past the ends: STAEDTLER climbs to 10H, Faber-Castell drops to 14B.

## Usual questions

**What does HB on a pencil mean?**
HB is the middle of the scale: a lead neither hard nor soft, suited to writing,
school and light sketches.

**HB or 2B — what is the difference?**
2B is softer and draws darker than HB. HB stays the choice for writing; 2B is for
sketches, expressive writing and light hatching.

**And 2H or HB?**
2H goes the opposite way: harder and paler than HB. It suits construction lines
and precise sketches, not everyday writing.

**Which pencil suits school?**
HB for writing and homework — supply lists ask for it by name — 2B for drawing.

**Why does the same grade look different across brands?**
Each maker blends its own graphite and clay, and the line also depends on paper
and hand.

## Where this comes from

A lead is graphite and clay baked together: more graphite means a softer lead,
more clay a harder one (Faber-Castell). The use bands follow the published maps
of Faber-Castell, STAEDTLER and STABILO. In shops, HB dominates: 1,136 of the
3,392 pencils listed on Skroutz.ro on 18 September 2026 carried the HB grade,
more than five times the runner-up 2B. There is no industry shade standard: a
Japanese-made HB is usually softer and darker than a European one. Checked
18 September 2026.

By Marius Comper — https://mariuscomper.uk/duritate-creioane/en/