Free UK alcohol units calculatorHow much are you really drinking?
Add your pints, wine and spirits to see your weekly units against the UK low-risk guideline of 14 units, and what your drinking is costing you. It takes a minute, and nothing is saved.
Quick answers: a pint of 4% beer is 2.3 units, a 175ml glass of 12% wine is 2.1, a 750ml bottle of 13.5% wine is 10.1, and a single 25ml measure of 40% spirit is 1 unit. No number of units makes driving safe. Want the maths behind it? How to calculate alcohol units.
Work out your units
And what your drinking is costing you.
How many days a week do you drink, on average?
And on a typical drinking day?
Prices are typical UK prices. Tap any price to change it to what you pay. One UK unit is 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol: strength (ABV %) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000.Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units ↗
And on a typical drinking day?Enter the size and strength from the label.
One UK unit is 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol: strength (ABV %) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000.Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units ↗
UK low-risk guideline: no more than 14 a week
Add what you drink to see your numbers.
Your drinking costs aroundNone of that shows up on a bank statement, but it often matters most.
Nothing in this calculator is saved or sent anywhere.
In Ireland? Irish guidelines use standard drinks, not UK units.Use our Irish calculator
Doctor-led, coach-supportedThe medical side sits with Professor Jonathan Chick, a consultant psychiatrist and researcher in alcohol dependence.
Reviews on TrustpilotRead what people say in their own words.Read our Trustpilot reviews ↗
Three questions doctors ask
The number of units is one part of the picture. These three questions are the AUDIT-C, a short screen used by GPs and health services across the UK.
1How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
2How many units do you drink on a typical day when you are drinking?
3How often have you had 6 or more units if female, or 8 or more if male, on a single occasion in the last year?
These three questions are the AUDIT-C test, used by the NHS and published by the UK government.See the AUDIT-C test on GOV.UK ↗
How many units is that drink?
Here’s how common drinks add up.
| Drink | Size and strength | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Single shot of spirits | 25ml at 40% | 1.0 |
| Large single shot of spirits | 35ml at 40% | 1.4 |
| Double shot of spirits | 50ml at 40% | 2.0 |
| Small glass of wine | 125ml at 12% | 1.5 |
| Standard glass of wine | 175ml at 12% | 2.1 |
| Large glass of wine | 250ml at 12% | 3.0 |
| Bottle of wine | 750ml at 13.5% | 10.1 |
| Glass of prosecco | 125ml at 11% | 1.4 |
| Pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider | 568ml at 3.6% | 2.0 |
| Pint of lager, beer or cider | 568ml at 4.5% | 2.6 |
| Pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider | 568ml at 5.2% | 3.0 |
| Bottle of lager, beer or cider | 330ml at 5% | 1.7 |
| Can of lager, beer or cider | 440ml at 5.5% | 2.4 |
| Alcopop | 275ml at 4.6% | 1.3 |
| Bottle of spirits | 700ml at 40% | 28.0 |
Worked out as strength (ABV %) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000. Stronger drinks contain more: check the label.Source: NHS
What do the low-risk guidelines say?
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise that men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week. If you do drink as much as 14 units a week, it’s best to spread it over 3 or more days, and if you want to cut down, have several drink-free days each week.
In real terms, 14 units is about 6 pints of average-strength beer, or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine. A single bottle of 13.5% wine is about 10 units on its own.
No level of regular drinking is without risk, and if you’re pregnant or could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink at all. The guidelines are about lowering risk.
But the number is only part of it. Are you drinking more than you meant to? Making rules and breaking them? Do you keep ending up back in the same place with your drinking? If you’re asking, it’s worth taking seriously, and that isn’t a judgement.
Sources: UK Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines; NHS, calculating alcohol units
If you are physically dependent on alcohol, do not suddenly stop drinking without medical advice. Call 999 for severe withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, severe shaking or seizures.How to cut down safely
Concerned about your drinking?
The advice most people hear is to stop completely and stay stopped. If that works for you, brilliant. If you’ve tried, more than once, and it hasn’t stuck, that isn’t a lack of willpower. Some people cut down with support, some stop with medical help, and there’s another option you may not have heard of.
“I’ve sat where you are, adding it up and not liking the number. Finding a way to change my relationship with alcohol, without having to give it up for good, is why we built Rethink Drink.”
Why willpower runs out
Your brain learns to link drinking with a powerful feel-good signal. Every drink strengthens that link, which is why the desire to drink can shout louder than your best intentions.
The Sinclair Method
One option a doctor may discuss with you is a medication taken before drinking. It works on the brain’s reward response to alcohol, which over time can make the desire to drink quieter. It isn’t right for everyone: a doctor decides, after a consultation, alongside the other options.
Support from home
Doctor-led treatment and coach-led change, built around your real life. You can keep your social life while you change your relationship with alcohol.
Read next: Why do I drink every night? · No willpower to stop drinking? · Sober for months, then one drink? · Hiding your drinking from your partner?
Alcohol units: quick answers
How many units are in a glass of wine?
At 12% strength, a small 125ml glass is 1.5 units, a standard 175ml glass is 2.1 units, and a large 250ml glass is 3 units. Many wines are stronger: a 175ml glass at 13.5% is about 2.4 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a bottle of wine?
A 750ml bottle at 13.5% contains about 10 units. At 12% it’s 9 units. Half a bottle is about 5 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many bottles of wine is 14 units?
Just under a bottle and a half of 13.5% wine across the whole week. A bottle of wine on its own is about 10 units, so two bottles in a week is around 20 units, well over the guideline.
Sources: UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines; NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a pint?
A 568ml pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider (3.6%) is 2 units. At an average 4.5% it’s about 2.6 units, and a stronger 5.2% pint is about 3 units. Five pints at 4.5% is about 13 units, close to the whole weekly guideline in one night.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a pint of cider?
The same as beer of the same strength: about 2.6 units for a pint at 4.5%. Stronger ciders contain more: a pint at 7.5% is about 4.3 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a can of beer or cider?
A 440ml can at 5.5% is 2.4 units. A 330ml bottle at 5% is 1.7 units. A 500ml can at 5% is 2.5 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a shot?
A single 25ml shot of 40% spirits (gin, vodka, rum, whisky, tequila) is 1 unit. A large 35ml single is 1.4 units, and a double is 2 units. A gin and tonic with a single measure is 1 unit; with a double, it’s 2.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How many units are in a glass of prosecco?
A 125ml glass at 11% is about 1.4 units. A 750ml bottle at 11% is about 8.3 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
What does 14 units look like?
About 6 pints of average-strength beer, or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine, according to the NHS. That’s across a whole week, not a day.
Sources: UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines; NHS, calculating alcohol units
How are units of alcohol measured?
One UK unit is 10ml, or 8 grams, of pure alcohol. To work out the units in any drink, multiply the strength (ABV %) by the volume in ml, then divide by 1,000. For a 568ml pint at 5.2%: 5.2 × 568 ÷ 1,000 = 2.95 units.
Source: NHS, calculating alcohol units
How long does it take to get rid of a unit?
Around an hour per unit for the average adult, so 6 units takes about 6 hours. It varies from person to person, and nothing speeds it up. After a heavy night, you may still be over the limit to drive the next morning.
Can I save up my units for the weekend?
The UK guidance is to spread your drinking over 3 or more days rather than having it all in one or two heavy sessions, which carry more risk. The 14 units is a weekly guide, not something to save up.
Source: UK Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines
How do I cut down on drinking safely?
If you drink heavily every day, speak to a doctor before you make any sudden change. It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you’re dependent on alcohol. What to do depends on the symptoms:
- Call 999 or go to A&E if you or someone else has severe withdrawal symptoms: shaking visibly, being unusually restless, irritable or upset, confusion (for example, not knowing what day it is), seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there, or a seizure (fit). Do not drive yourself to A&E.
- See a GP or an alcohol support service if you get symptoms like anxiety, difficulty sleeping, sweating or feeling sick when you try to cut down.
- For confidential advice, Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline, is on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
None of this has to rule you out. It means starting safely, with medical support, from day one.
Sources: NHS, alcohol-use disorder; NHS, alcohol support (Drinkline)
Does this calculator save my answers?
No. Everything you enter stays on your own device and is never sent to us or stored. If you accept cookies, we count that the calculator was used, never what you entered.
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