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

Type A vs. Type N

Comparing 2 standards across 7 specifications. 7 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type A
Type N
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 N →

Type N is used in two places -- Brazil and South Africa -- but they are genuinely different implementations, not one standard: Brazil's NBR 14136 uses two different pin-diameter variants and skips a shutter requirement that South Africa's SANS 164-2 (closer to the source IEC 60906-1 spec) includes.

View full Type N spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

7 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type A
Type N
Pin Count
2 flat parallel blades, non-coplanar, 12.7mm apart 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
No Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Japan Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
15 A —
Rated Voltage
125 V —
Rated Current (Brazil)
— 10 or 20 (4.0mm or 4.8mm pins respectively) A
Rated Current (South Africa)
— 16 (uniform 4.5mm pins) A

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 E → 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 O →