NEMA connector
type of power plugs standardized by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association
NEMA connectors are power plugs and sockets used for AC mains electricity in North America, Central America, Japan, Taiwan and other countries that use the standards set by the US National Electrical Manufacturers Association. They are defined by the IEC as the Type A and Type B plugs. NEMA wiring devices are made in current ratings from 15 to 60 amperes (A), with voltage ratings from 125 to 600 volts (V).
Different combinations of contact blade widths, shapes, orientations, and dimensions create non-interchangeable connectors that are unique for each combination of voltage, electric current carrying capacity, and grounding system. NEMA 1-15P (two-pole, no ground) and NEMA 5-15P (two-pole with ground pin) plugs are used on common domestic electrical equipment, and NEMA 5-15R is the standard 15-ampere electric receptacle (outlet) found in the United States, and under relevant national standards, in Canada (CSA C22.2 No. 42), Mexico (NMX-J-163-ANCE), Japan (JIS C 8303), and Taiwan.
The dimensional standard for electrical connectors is ANSI/NEMA WD-6 and is available from the NEMA website. Other plug and receptacle types are for special purposes or for heavy-duty applications.
Nomenclature
NEMA connectors are named following an alphanumeric code consisting of: (optional L for locking) numerals – numerals (suffix R for receptacle or P for plug).There are two basic classifications of NEMA connectors: straight-blade and locking. The metal conductive blades are often informally called prongs (as in 3-prong plug).
“NEMA connector” enters the record as type of power plugs standardized by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what NEMA, connector and type can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Chronology, provenance and viewpoint should be read together before a broad social or political interpretation is accepted. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q48125. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “NEMA connector” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.