Alcohol Units Calculator

Calculate UK alcohol units for a drinking session or full week and compare against the 14-unit lower-risk weekly guideline.

Share this calculator

Drinks

Total units
2.8
20% of 14 unit weekly guideline
Within guidelines
2.8 units in this session represents 20% of the UK weekly lower-risk guideline (14 units). The UK advises not regularly drinking more than 6 units in a single session.

UK lower-risk guidelines are defined by the Chief Medical Officers. No level of alcohol consumption is completely risk-free. If you are pregnant or have a health condition affected by alcohol, the guidance may differ.

Also in Alcohol

Alcohol Calories Calculator Alcohol Carbs Calculator Alcohol Fat Loss Impact Calculator Alcohol Food Equivalent Calculator BAC Calculator Drinking Reduction Planner Weekly Alcohol Intake Calculator

Health — Medical

Alcohol Units Calculator

UK alcohol units provide a standardised measure of pure ethanol content across different drink types and serving sizes. One unit equals 10 mL (8 g) of pure ethanol. This calculator converts drink volumes and ABV into UK units and compares them against the Chief Medical Officers' lower-risk guidelines.

How units are calculated

The formula is straightforward: units = (volume in mL × ABV%) ÷ 1,000. A standard 175 mL glass of 12% wine contains 175 × 12 ÷ 1,000 = 2.1 units. A pint of 5% beer (568 mL) contains 568 × 5 ÷ 1,000 = 2.84 units, often rounded to 2.8. A 25 mL measure of 40% spirits contains 1.0 unit.

Pub measures and bottled drinks increasingly carry unit labelling in the UK, but home servings — where measures are not standardised — are often poured larger and can substantially exceed the stated serving size.

UK lower-risk guidelines

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that adults drink no more than 14 units per week, spread over at least 3 days, with several alcohol-free days. The guidelines apply to both men and women. There is no safe lower limit of alcohol consumption; the guidelines represent a lower-risk threshold, not a safe threshold.

For single sessions, the CMOs advise not regularly drinking more than 6 units in one occasion. This is roughly equivalent to two pints of 5% beer or two 175 mL glasses of 13% wine.

Frequently asked questions

Is a unit the same as a drink?

No — a standard drink in the UK typically contains 1–3 units depending on drink type and size. A single shot (25 mL) of 40% spirits is exactly 1 unit. A 175 mL glass of 13% wine is about 2.3 units. A pint of 5% beer is about 2.8 units. Many drinks are therefore multiple units per serving.

 Does the UK guideline differ from other countries?

Yes. Standard drink definitions and guidelines vary internationally. The UK's 1 unit = 8 g ethanol contrasts with Australian standard drinks (10 g), US standard drinks (14 g), and others. UK guidelines also apply the same 14-unit limit to both men and women, unlike some countries that maintain different thresholds by sex.

Related

More from nearby categories

These related calculators come from the same leaf category, nearby sibling categories, or the same top-level topic.

Alcohol Calories Calculator

Calculate total calories from an alcoholic drink session, broken down into ethanol and carbohydrate calories, with a weekly equivalent and context note.

Open calculator

Weekly Alcohol Intake Calculator

Log drinks across all 7 days to see weekly unit and calorie totals, binge-day flags, and a drinking pattern assessment against UK guidelines.

Open calculator

Drinking Reduction Planner

Create a week-by-week schedule to reduce weekly alcohol units from current to target level, with tips and drink-swap suggestions each step.

Open calculator

Alcohol Carbs Calculator

Calculate the carbohydrate content of alcoholic drinks by type, with keto-diet context and an explanation of ethanol vs carb calories.

Open calculator

Privacy choices

If you allow analytics, we may use Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to better understand how the site is used. Analytics remain off unless you accept.