Is #16 the Same as 16 AWG? Yes. In electrical wiring specifications, #16 and 16 AWG generally refer to the same wire size: 16 American Wire Gauge. The symbol "#" is commonly used as shorthand for the word "number" when identifying wire gauge sizes. Therefore, #16 wire usually means No. 16 AWG wire. For example, the following designations generally describe the same nominal conductor size: #16 wire No. 16 wire 16 AWG wire 16-gauge wire However, context matters. The term "16 ga