H cup bra size: a US H and a UK H are three inches apart
An H cup can be eight inches of difference or eleven. On the US ladders of Wacoal, Freya and Elomi, H is the size the UK calls FF. On UK ladders H is three inches larger and the US calls it K. That is 7.6 cm of cup under one letter.
US H: 8 in, 20.3 cm of difference
| UK | US | EU | FR | AU | JP (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34FF | 34H | 75H | 90H | 12G | I75 |
| 36FF | 36H | 80H | 95H | 14G | I80 |
| 38FF | 38H | 85H | 100H | 16G | I85 |
| 40FF | 40H | 90H | 105H | 18G | I90 |
| 42FF | 42H | 95H | 110H | 20G | I95 |
| 44FF | 44H | 100H | 115H | 22G | I100 |
UK H: 11 in, 27.9 cm of difference
| UK | US | EU | FR | AU | JP (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34H | 34K | 75K | 90K | n/a | n/a |
| 36H | 36K | 80K | 95K | n/a | n/a |
| 38H | 38K | 85K | 100K | n/a | n/a |
| 40H | 40K | 90K | 105K | n/a | n/a |
| 42H | 42K | 95K | 110K | n/a | n/a |
| 44H | 44K | 100K | 115K | n/a | n/a |
"h cup bra" gets about 8,100 Google searches a month in the US, 1,000 in the UK and 480 in Australia; "h cup size" adds 2,400 in the US. Google Ads cluster figures, September 2026.
Which H is on the tag
The letter is the same; the size behind it depends on the ladder the brand uses. Each reading, and who prints it.
| Reading | Difference | UK | US | EU | AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US H | 8 in (20.3 cm) | 38FF | 38H | 85H | 16G |
| UK H | 11 in (27.9 cm) | 38H | 38K | 85K | n/a |
- US H. Wacoal, Freya and Elomi print US H next to UK FF and EU H. Eight inches of difference.
- UK H. The UK ladder runs G, GG, H, HH: H is the eleventh inch, and the US calls it K (Wacoal, Freya, Elomi). Marks & Spencer lists UK H on bands 30 to 46.
Sister sizes keep the H cup's volume
Go down one band and up one letter, or up one band and down one letter, and the cup volume stays the same. Shown for US H on a 38 band.
| UK | US | Compared with 38FF |
|---|---|---|
| 36G | 36I | Tighter band, 1 letter up |
| 38FF | 38H | This size |
| 40F | 40G | Looser band, 1 letter down |
The full diagonal chart, with fit fixes for a band that rides up or digs in, is on the sister sizes page.
What the +4 method does to this cup
The traditional method adds 4 inches to an even underbust and takes the cup from what is left. For US H (8 in) that changes the answer on every band.
| Underbust | Bust | Measured band | +4 method (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 in | 42 in | 34FF | 38D |
| 38 in | 46 in | 38FF | 42D |
| 42 in | 50 in | 42FF | 46D |
White and Scurr (2012) found the traditional method overestimated band size and underestimated cup size (Ergonomics 55(6)). A size from an older calculator may not be the size on this page.
Which charts list it
The bands on which each brand's own printed chart lists this cup. A chart check, not a stock check.
| Brand | US H (8 in) | UK H (11 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Elomi | 32 to 48 | 32 to 48 |
| Freya | 28 to 44 | 28 to 44 |
| Marks & Spencer | not on its chart | 30 to 46 |
| Victoria's Secret | not on its chart | not on its chart |
| ThirdLove | 32 to 44 | not on its chart |
Elomi: US underband and cup sizing, 32 to 48 bands and B to O cups (UK B to K; its chart continues to UK KK). Freya: bands 28 to 44, UK cups B to K. Marks & Spencer: its UK row lists sizes from 28AA to 46K (no FF, HH or JJ); matched here by the label as printed. Victoria's Secret: international chart: bands 30 to 44, AA to DDD (UK E). ThirdLove: bands 32 to 44, AA to H in US letters (UK FF), plus half cups.
What is particular about the H cup
Which H is on the tag
A US 38H is 38FF in UK labels and EU 85H. A UK 38H is US 38K and EU 85K. There is no Australian label for the UK H on our chart, which stops at HH; Freya's and Elomi's Australian rows keep the letter H.
SKIMS's H is the big one
SKIMS's cup table pairs its US H with UK H and EU K: the eleven-inch cup, where the US H of Wacoal, Freya and Elomi is the eight-inch UK FF. A SKIMS H is three inches larger than a Wacoal H. ThirdLove's chart also ends at H; the page we opened shows no UK labels, so check its own conversion before you compare.
How far each chart reaches
Victoria's Secret stops at DDD (UK E), so it has no H in either reading. The table below shows the bands on which each chart we read lists the eight-inch and the eleven-inch cup.
What the +4 method does to an eight-inch H
A 36 in underbust and a 44 in bust measure 36FF, the US H. The +4 method pads the band to 40 and gives 40D. For a UK H (36 in and 47 in) it gives 40G against 36H.
Other sizes and tools
- Bra size calculatorMeasure your size with both methods shown
- UK to US converterAny size in any of six systems
- Sister size chartThe full diagonal chart and fit fixes
- A cupWhat the letter means, by band
- B cupWhat the letter means, by band
- D cupWhat the letter means, by band
- DD cupWhat the letter means, by band
- E cupWhat the letter means, by band
Sources
Each source was opened and checked on the date shown, or on 25 September 2026. Where sources disagree, the page says so instead of picking one silently.
- Wacoal America, "Size Charts": US and UK cup ladders side by side (opened 26 September 2026)
- Freya, "International Bra Size Chart & Bra Sizing": band and cup tables in UK, EU, FR, AU/NZ, US and JP (opened 26 September 2026)
- Elomi, "International Size Guide": US underband and cup sizing, B to O cups and 32 to 48 bands; UK, EU, FR, AU/NZ, US and JP rows (UK cups to KK, US to P) (opened 29 September 2026)
- SKIMS, "Bra Size Guide": underband and overbust chart, sizes 30AA to 46H, US/UK/EU/AU cup table (opened 26 September 2026)
- ThirdLove, "Bra Size Calculator & Chart": bands 32 to 44, cups AA to H with half cups; calculator run with 6 measurement pairs (opened 26 September 2026)
- Marks & Spencer US, "Bras size guide": UK, AU/NZ, US/CA, EU and FR conversion table (opened 26 September 2026)
- Victoria's Secret Customer Care, "Size & Fit: International Size Chart (Outside the U.S.)": US sizes sold; bands 30 to 44, cups AA to DDD; US DDD = UK E (opened 26 September 2026)