7/32" drill bit size
0.2188 in
5.56 mm · fractional drill
| Inches | 0.2188 in |
| Millimetres | 5.56 mm |
| Nearest metric drill | 5.6 mm |
| System | Fractional (64ths) |
What 7/32" means
7/32" is a fractional drill, stepping in 64ths of an inch. Fractional sizes are the coarsest of the three systems, which is why a fractional set alone cannot hit most tapping sizes and why number and letter drills exist at all.
The same hole in the other systems
Three drill systems overlap across this range and a workshop rarely has all three. The nearest bit of each other kind to 7/32":
| System | Nearest size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| number | #2 — 0.221 in | 0.0023 in larger |
| letter | A — 0.234 in | 0.0153 in larger |
| metric | 5.6 mm | 0.044 mm larger |
One of those is within three thousandths of an inch, which is inside the tolerance of most hand-held work — substitute it and nobody will know.
What gets drilled at 0.2188 inches
Where the quarter-inch and five-sixteenths taps are drilled, and where clearance holes for small bolts begin. The three drill systems overlap most densely across this band, which is why a bit here is the one most often picked up and misidentified.
Either side of it
| Drill | Inches | Millimetres |
|---|---|---|
| #5 | 0.2055 in | 5.22 mm |
| #4 | 0.209 in | 5.31 mm |
| #3 | 0.213 in | 5.41 mm |
| 7/32" | 0.2188 in | 5.56 mm |
| #2 | 0.221 in | 5.61 mm |
| #1 | 0.228 in | 5.79 mm |
| A | 0.234 in | 5.94 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What size is a 7/32" drill bit?
0.2188 inches, which is 5.56 mm. Fractional drills step in 64ths of an inch, which is the coarsest of the three systems and the one most home sets contain.
What is a 7/32" drill bit in mm?
5.56 mm. A metric index will offer 5.6 mm as the nearest stocked size, which is 0.044 mm larger — enough to matter when tapping and not enough to matter for a clearance hole.
Is 7/32" a tapping drill size?
Not for any of the unified threads on this site. It sits between the sizes the standard taps call for, so it is a clearance or pilot drill rather than a tapping one.
What is the next size up from 7/32"?
#2 at 0.221 inches — 0.0023 inches larger. Below it is #3 at 0.213.
Other sizes
- #2 drill bit — 0.221 in, 5.61 mm
- #1 drill bit — 0.228 in, 5.79 mm
- A drill bit — 0.234 in, 5.94 mm
- 15/64" drill bit — 0.2344 in, 5.95 mm
- B drill bit — 0.238 in, 6.05 mm
- C drill bit — 0.242 in, 6.15 mm
- D drill bit — 0.246 in, 6.25 mm
- E drill bit — 0.25 in, 6.35 mm