Alcohol Units Calculator
It’s easy to underestimate how much you drink. Enter your typical week and this calculator totals your alcohol units and compares them with low-risk guidelines.
Alcohol Units Calculator
It’s easy to underestimate how much you drink. Enter your typical week and this calculator totals your alcohol units and compares them with low-risk guidelines.
Educational estimate only — this is NOT a medical diagnosis. It cannot tell you whether you have a condition; only a doctor can. Please discuss your health and any concerns with a qualified healthcare professional.
- Low risk
- Increasing riskYou
- High risk
You are drinking above the low-risk guideline. Cutting down lowers your risk — try several drink-free days a week, and speak to your doctor if you find it hard to cut back.
- From beer
- 9.2 units
- From wine
- 6.3 units
- From spirits
- 2 units
- Daily average
- 2.5 units
UK Chief Medical Officers advise keeping to 14 units a week or less, spread over 3+ days. (The US measures "standard drinks" of 14g instead.) This is educational only — talk to your doctor about your drinking.
This is an educational estimate, not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional. Based on CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) guidance — only a clinician can assess your real risk.
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How units are calculated
One UK alcohol unit is 10 ml (8 g) of pure alcohol. The number of units in a drink depends on its size and strength, so a pint of regular beer is about 2.3 units, a 175 ml glass of wine about 2.1, and a single 25 ml measure of spirits about 1 unit.
The calculator multiplies how many of each you drink per week by these values and adds them up. Counting units this way is far more accurate than counting "drinks," because drink sizes and strengths vary so widely.
Low-risk drinking guidelines
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise drinking no more than 14 units a week, for both men and women, ideally spread over three or more days rather than "saved up." There is no completely safe level of drinking — 14 units is the point below which risk is considered low, not zero.
Guidance differs by country. The US measures "standard drinks" of 14 g of alcohol and advises limits in those terms, while Australia uses 10 g standard drinks. Whatever the unit, the principle is the same: less is better for your health.
Cutting down
If your total is above the guideline, small changes add up: have several drink-free days each week, choose smaller measures or lower-strength drinks, and alternate alcoholic drinks with water. Tracking your units — as you’ve just done — is itself one of the most effective steps.
Drinking above the guidelines raises the risk of liver disease, several cancers, high blood pressure and dependence. This tool is educational only; if you find it hard to cut back, please talk to your doctor, who can offer confidential support.
Frequently asked questions
How many alcohol units are safe per week?
UK guidance is to keep to 14 units a week or fewer, spread over several days, for both men and women. No level of drinking is completely risk-free, so less is always better.
How many units are in a glass of wine or a pint?
Roughly: a pint of regular-strength beer is about 2.3 units, a 175 ml glass of wine about 2.1 units, and a single 25 ml spirit measure about 1 unit. Stronger or larger drinks contain more.
What’s the difference between a unit and a standard drink?
A UK unit is 8 g of pure alcohol; a US "standard drink" is 14 g and an Australian one is 10 g. They measure the same thing in different sizes, so guideline numbers differ by country.
Sources & references
- UK Chief Medical Officers. "UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines." 2016.
- U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "Rethinking Drinking" — standard drink sizes and limits.
Not medical advice. This result is an educational estimate from HealthyLifeStyles (Trusted Wellness), based on population formulas — not a diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your health.
https://www.healthylifestyles.com/tools/alcohol-units-calculator