# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Plug Types

Type A vs. Type E

Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 5 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type A
Type E
Type A →

Type A is the ungrounded 2-flat-pin plug standard in North America, Central America, and Japan -- NEMA 1-15, rated 15A/125V. It's a physical subset of Type B: any Type A plug fits directly into a Type B socket, the ground pin recess simply unused.

View full Type A spec sheet →
Type E →

Type E is the French/Belgian standard -- unusually, its round grounding pin is fixed in the socket, not the plug. It's used across France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia, and a hybrid CEE 7/7 plug design bridges it with the incompatible German Type F.

View full Type E spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type A
Type E
Pin Count
2 flat parallel blades, non-coplanar, 12.7mm apart 2 round power pins; earth pin projects from the socket, not the plug
Rated Current
15 A 16 A
Rated Voltage
125 V 250 V
Grounded
No Yes (mandatory)
Common Regions
USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Japan France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia

Other Alternatives to Compare

Compare Type A vs. Type B → Compare Type A vs. Type C → Compare Type A vs. Type D → Compare Type A vs. Type F (Schuko) → Compare Type A vs. Type G → Compare Type A vs. Type H → Compare Type A vs. Type I → Compare Type A vs. Type J → Compare Type A vs. Type K → Compare Type A vs. Type L → Compare Type A vs. Type M → Compare Type A vs. Type N → Compare Type A vs. Type O →