Type B vs. Type L

Type B adds a round grounding pin to Type A's two flat blades -- NEMA 5-15, the most common outlet in North America. The ground pin is deliberately longer than the power blades, so it connects before and disconnects after them, a safety-sequencing feature shared with several other grounded plug types worldwide.

Type L, Italy's standard, uses three round pins in a straight line rather than a triangle, in two incompatible sizes (10A and 16A). Chile and Uruguay use the same physical design, though no independently confirmed national standard document defines it in either country.