9/16" drill bit size
0.5625 in
14.29 mm · fractional drill
| Inches | 0.5625 in |
| Millimetres | 14.29 mm |
| Nearest metric drill | 14.3 mm |
| System | Fractional (64ths) |
What 9/16" means
9/16" 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 9/16":
| System | Nearest size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| number | #1 — 0.228 in | 0.3345 in smaller |
| letter | Z — 0.413 in | 0.1495 in smaller |
| metric | 14.3 mm | 0.013 mm larger |
The closest substitute is 0.1495 inches away. For a clearance hole that is nothing; for a tapping hole it moves the thread engagement by several per cent, which is the difference between an easy tap and a broken one.
What gets drilled at 0.5625 inches
Half an inch and up is where twist drills stop being the obvious tool. A bit this size in mild steel needs a pilot, a slow speed and something to hold the work; past three-quarters of an inch most people reach for a hole saw or a step drill instead.
Either side of it
| Drill | Inches | Millimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 33/64" | 0.5156 in | 13.1 mm |
| 17/32" | 0.5313 in | 13.49 mm |
| 35/64" | 0.5469 in | 13.89 mm |
| 9/16" | 0.5625 in | 14.29 mm |
| 37/64" | 0.5781 in | 14.68 mm |
| 19/32" | 0.5938 in | 15.08 mm |
| 39/64" | 0.6094 in | 15.48 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What size is a 9/16" drill bit?
0.5625 inches, which is 14.29 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 9/16" drill bit in mm?
14.29 mm. A metric index will offer 14.3 mm as the nearest stocked size, which is near enough identical.
Is 9/16" a tapping drill size?
Not for any of the unified threads on this site. The next size up, 37/64", is the tapping drill for 5/8-18.
What is the next size up from 9/16"?
37/64" at 0.5781 inches — 0.0156 inches larger. Below it is 35/64" at 0.5469.
Other sizes
- 37/64" drill bit — 0.5781 in, 14.68 mm
- 19/32" drill bit — 0.5938 in, 15.08 mm
- 39/64" drill bit — 0.6094 in, 15.48 mm
- 5/8" drill bit — 0.625 in, 15.88 mm
- 41/64" drill bit — 0.6406 in, 16.27 mm
- 21/32" drill bit — 0.6563 in, 16.67 mm
- 43/64" drill bit — 0.6719 in, 17.07 mm
- 11/16" drill bit — 0.6875 in, 17.46 mm