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

Type D vs. Type L

Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 4 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type D
Type L

Type D is the old British 5A standard (BS 546, 1934) -- three large round pins in a triangle. It predates and is completely incompatible with the UK's later Type G, and remains the primary domestic standard in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka today.

View full Type D spec sheet →

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.

View full Type L spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Pin Count
3 round pins in a triangle (large, non-coplanar sizing) 3 round pins in a straight line (unpolarized/reversible)
Rated Current
5 A 10 or 16 (two incompatible sizes) A
Rated Voltage
250 V 250 V
Grounded
Yes Yes, both sizes
Common Regions
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Namibia, and roughly 40 countries with British-influenced history Italy, Chile, Uruguay