Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter – °F to °C and °C to °F
Convert temperatures between Fahrenheit and Celsius as you type, with Kelvin shown too. A table covers the temperatures people look up most — freezing, room temperature, body temperature, boiling and common oven settings.
How to use the temperature converter
- Choose °F → °C or °C → °F. Visitors in the US start with Fahrenheit, everyone else with Celsius.
- Type the temperature. Negative values are fine.
You’ll see the converted temperature, the same temperature in Kelvin and the formula used.
The formulas
Worked examples
- 98.6 °F = (98.6 − 32) × 5 ÷ 9 = 37 °C
- 20 °C = 20 × 9 ÷ 5 + 32 = 68 °F
- 212 °F = 100 °C (water boils at sea level)
- −40 °F = −40 °C
Temperatures worth knowing
| Situation | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Water freezes | 32 | 0 |
| A cold winter day | 14 | −10 |
| Fridge | 37 | 3 |
| Room temperature | 68–72 | 20–22 |
| A hot summer day | 95 | 35 |
| Body temperature | 98.6 | 37 |
| Fever | 100.4+ | 38+ |
| Water boils | 212 | 100 |
Oven temperatures
| °F | °C | Fan oven °C | Gas mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 150 | 130 | 2 |
| 325 | 165 | 145 | 3 |
| 350 | 175–180 | 160 | 4 |
| 375 | 190 | 170 | 5 |
| 400 | 200 | 180 | 6 |
| 425 | 220 | 200 | 7 |
| 450 | 230 | 210 | 8 |
Fan (convection) ovens cook hotter, so recipes often suggest about 20 °C lower. Gas marks are used in the UK and Ireland.
Who uses which scale?
The United States and a few other places use Fahrenheit for everyday temperatures. Almost everywhere else, including Canada, the UK, Europe, Africa, India and Australia, uses Celsius — though some older people in the UK still describe hot days in Fahrenheit. Science uses Celsius and Kelvin worldwide.
Why the formula has two steps
The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales have different zero points and different-sized degrees. That’s why you can’t simply multiply: you first remove Fahrenheit’s 32-degree offset, then rescale the degree size by 5/9. A change in temperature is different from a temperature itself — a rise of 10 °C is a rise of 18 °F, with no 32 involved. This catches people out when reading weather forecasts that say “5 degrees warmer than yesterday”.
Cooking and baking
Most recipes give oven temperatures rounded to convenient numbers, so exact conversions rarely matter: 350 °F becomes 175 or 180 °C. For sugar work, deep frying and bread, accuracy matters more, so use a thermometer and convert carefully. If your oven is a fan or convection oven, lower the temperature by about 20 °C (25 °F) or check the food a little earlier, because circulating air cooks faster.
About the scales
Celsius sets water’s freezing point at 0 and boiling point at 100 at sea level. Fahrenheit sets them at 32 and 212, so 180 Fahrenheit degrees span the same range as 100 Celsius degrees — that’s where the 9/5 factor comes from. Kelvin starts at absolute zero (−273.15 °C), the coldest possible temperature.
For recipes, also see the cooking converter; for every other unit, the unit converter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?
Subtract 32, then multiply by 5 and divide by 9. 98.6 °F − 32 = 66.6; × 5 ÷ 9 = 37 °C.
How do I convert Celsius to Fahrenheit?
Multiply by 9, divide by 5, then add 32. 20 °C × 9 ÷ 5 = 36; + 32 = 68 °F.
What is normal body temperature?
About 37 °C, which is 98.6 °F, though a normal range is roughly 36.1 to 37.2 °C (97 to 99 °F). A fever is generally 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher.
At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius equal?
At −40. Minus forty degrees Fahrenheit is exactly minus forty degrees Celsius.
What is 350 °F in Celsius?
About 177 °C. Recipes usually round it to 175 or 180 °C, or gas mark 4.
Is there a quick way to estimate?
For weather, double the Celsius and add 30 to get roughly Fahrenheit (20 °C → 70 °F; exact 68). Going the other way, subtract 30 and halve (80 °F → 25 °C; exact 26.7).
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