Convert Weight from Pounds to Stones (lbs to st)

Pound to Stone Conversion Formula

Example

Let's convert 5 Pound (lb) to Stone (st).

Using the formula:

Therefore, 5 Pound (lb) is equal to 0.35714285714285714286 Stone (st).

How many pounds are in one stone? One Stone (st) contains 14 Pounds (lb) — the inverse of the factor above. Multiplying by 0.071428571428571428571 takes you from pounds to stones; multiplying by 14 brings you back.

Put in words: one pound equals 0.071428571428571428571 stones, so the pound is the smaller unit of this pair. Converting between them never changes the amount of weight being measured — only the size of the unit you count it in.

What is a Pound (lb)?

The pound (lb) is a basic unit of mass and weight in the imperial system. It's widely used in the United States and elsewhere to measure things like groceries, body weight, and shipping.

Why is a Pound Abbreviated as "lb"?

Have you ever wondered why we write "lb" for pound? The abbreviation has ancient Roman roots.

It originates from the Roman unit of mass, the libra, which is Latin for "scales" or "balance."

The whole Roman phrase was libra pondo, meaning "a pound by weight." While English speakers adopted the pondo part, which became the word "pound," the abbreviation "lb" was retained from the phrase "libra."

How Many Ounces in a Pound? Avoirdupois vs. Troy

Not all pounds are created equal. The two most common types are the avoirdupois pound and the troy pound.

• Avoirdupois Pound: This is the standard, everyday pound used for general purposes. It is equal to 16 ounces. When you weigh yourself or buy produce, you are using the avoirdupois pound.
• Troy Pound: This unit is used exclusively for weighing precious metals, such as gold and silver. A troy pound is lighter, containing only 12 troy ounces.

The Official Definition: Pound to Kilogram (kg) Conversion

To ensure global consistency, the pound is officially defined in relation to the kilogram (kg), the base unit of mass in the metric system.

Since 1959, one pound has been internationally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.

This agreement ensures that a pound in the US is the same as a pound in the UK. For everyday calculations, you can remember that 1 pound is about 0.45 kg.

What is a Stone (st)?

The stone (st) is a unit of measurement equal to 14 pounds (lb).

It's part of the imperial system and is still commonly used in a few countries, especially for weighing people.

How Many Kilograms are in a Stone?

For use in international contexts or scientific applications, the stone is often converted to the metric system.

One stone is equal to exactly 6.35029318 kilograms (kg).

This precise conversion is used in international trade and science to ensure everyone is using the exact standard measurement.

Why is Body Weight Measured in Stone?

Although it's an older unit, the stone remains the primary unit of measurement for body weight in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It's common to hear someone state their weight as a combination of stone and pounds, like "12 stone 6 pounds."

Where Did the Stone Unit Come From?

The stone traces its origins back to the medieval English wool trade, where a "stone of wool" referred to a standard 14-pound measure used for buying and selling.

Stones for other goods could vary in weight—for example, a stone of glass was just 5 pounds—but over time, the 14-pound stone became the official legal standard.

How the Stone Is Actually Written

The stone is almost never used on its own. Body weight in Britain and Ireland is quoted as stones and pounds, with the remainder written out rather than expressed as a decimal.

A person weighing 72 kg is "11 stone 4" — that is 11 st 4 lb, or 158 pounds — not "11.3 stone". Reading the decimal form as pounds is a common error: 11.3 st is 11 st 4.2 lb, close by coincidence, but 11.5 st means 11 st 7 lb, not 11 st 5 lb.

The conversions worth keeping to hand are:

• 1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35029 kilograms
• 1 kilogram ≈ 0.157473 stone
• A useful mental check: 10 stone ≈ 63.5 kg, and each additional stone adds a little over 6 kg.

Where the Stone Is and Is Not Used

The unit's survival is unusually specific. It was removed from British trade use by weights and measures legislation, so nothing is sold by the stone — shop scales read in kilograms and grams.

What survives is personal and conversational use: body weight, and by extension the weight of livestock and sporting figures such as boxing and horse-racing weights. Medical records in the UK are kept in kilograms, but patients are routinely told their weight in stones and pounds because that is the number they recognise.

Outside Britain and Ireland the unit is essentially unknown. The United States, despite sharing the pound, does not use the stone at all — American body weight is quoted in pounds alone, which is why a US figure of "158 lb" and a UK figure of "11 st 4" describe exactly the same person.

Pound to Stone Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from Pound (lb) to Stone (st):