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Key takeaways
- Count expresses fineness. In the English system (Ne), **a higher number means a finer yarn**.
- Ne is an indirect system: it measures length per unit weight. Tex and denier are direct systems and run the opposite way.
- Ne 30 is finer than Ne 20. Tex 30 is coarser than Tex 20. Mixing the two up is the classic ordering error.
- The /1 and /2 suffix is ply, not part of the count. Ne 20/2 is two Ne 20 singles twisted together, so the resulting yarn is roughly as thick as an Ne 10.
- A count alone is not a specification. Add ply, quality, blend and end use.
Yarn count expresses how fine or coarse a yarn is. In the English cotton system, written Ne, a higher number means a finer yarn: an Ne 30 is thinner than an Ne 20. That single sentence answers most of what people come to this question for, but the reason behind it is worth understanding, because it explains why some count systems run the other way.
What count actually measures
There are two ways to express the thickness of a yarn, and textiles uses both.
An indirect system measures how much length you get from a fixed weight. Finer yarn means more length per pound, so the number goes up as the yarn gets thinner. Ne and Nm work this way.
A direct system measures how much a fixed length weighs. Finer yarn weighs less, so the number goes down as the yarn gets thinner. Tex and denier work this way.
This is the whole source of the confusion. The systems are not inconsistent, they are answering opposite questions.
How Ne is defined
Ne is the number of 840-yard hanks of yarn that weigh one pound. So an Ne 20 yarn gives you twenty 840-yard hanks per pound, and an Ne 40 gives you forty. Twice the length from the same weight means half the thickness, which is why Ne 40 is finer than Ne 20.
You will not need the arithmetic in practice. What matters is the direction: in Ne, bigger means finer.
Ne, Nm, tex and denier compared
| System | What it measures | A higher number means |
|---|---|---|
| Ne (English cotton) | Number of 840-yard hanks per pound | Finer yarn |
| Nm (metric) | Number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram | Finer yarn |
| Tex | Weight in grams of 1,000 m of yarn | Coarser yarn |
| Denier | Weight in grams of 9,000 m of yarn | Coarser yarn |
Cotton and cotton-blend yarn from Pakistan is quoted in Ne almost without exception. You are most likely to meet tex or denier when a synthetic filament is specified, for example the Lycra content in a core-spun yarn.
Single, plied and what the slash means
A count is usually written with a second number after a slash, such as Ne 20/1 or Ne 20/2. That second number is the ply: how many single strands are twisted together.
- Ne 20/1 is a single yarn of count 20.
- Ne 20/2 is two Ne 20 singles twisted together. Twisting two strands together roughly doubles the thickness, so the finished yarn behaves about like an Ne 10.
This trips people up regularly, because Ne 20/2 looks like a finer yarn than Ne 20/1 and is in fact considerably coarser. Plied yarns are stronger, more even and more resistant to abrasion than a single of the same final thickness, which is why they are used for sewing threads, weaving warps and heavier knits.
Which count for which fabric
As a general orientation, before quality and blend are taken into account:
| Typical count | Commonly used for |
|---|---|
| Ne 8s to Ne 12s | Heavy knits, fleece and terry, coarse woven fabrics, denim weft |
| Ne 16s to Ne 21s | Mid-weight single jersey, sweatshirting, workwear |
| Ne 24s to Ne 30s | Standard T-shirt jersey, polo piqué, everyday knitwear |
| Ne 30s to Ne 40s | Fine jersey, shirting and poplin, premium lightweight tees |
Note where this overlaps the carded and combed decision. Below roughly Ne 21s, carded yarn is the norm. Above roughly Ne 30s, combed becomes the practical choice, because short fibres cause too many breaks to spin fine yarn reliably. See combed vs carded cotton yarn for what that difference costs.
What to specify when you request a quote
A count on its own is not enough to price or produce a yarn. Send these six things and you will get a usable quote first time:
- Count, written in Ne, for example Ne 30.
- Ply, single or plied, for example /1 or /2.
- Quality, carded or combed, ring-spun or compact.
- Blend, written out in full where it is not pure cotton, for example 65% polyester / 35% cotton. See PC vs CVC yarn for why bare numbers are ambiguous.
- Quantity, and how it is phased across the period.
- End use, so a mismatch can be flagged before it becomes fabric.
We supply cotton, PC, CVC and specialty yarns across the range from Ne 8s to Ne 40s and multiply, in carded, combed, compact and cone-dyed qualities. If you know the fabric you want but not the count, describe the fabric and we will work back to the count. Start with our full yarn range.