Quantity Converter: Dozens, Scores, Grosses and More
Enter any count in the unit of your choice and this calculator instantly shows the equivalent in every other quantity grouping, from individual units to pairs, half dozens, dozens, baker's dozens, scores, grosses, and great grosses. All conversions update live as you type.
What is a quantity converter?
A quantity converter translates a count expressed in one named grouping (such as "5 dozen") into all the other standard quantity groupings. Named groupings exist because they make arithmetic easier in commerce: a dozen has 12 items, which divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, and 6, so a baker selling 3 dozen rolls knows instantly that is 36 rolls without long division. This calculator covers the eight groupings most commonly used in English-speaking trade and everyday life: units, pairs, half dozens, dozens, baker's dozens, scores, grosses, and great grosses.
The dozen, baker's dozen, and why 12 matters
The dozen traces back to ancient Mesopotamia, where a base-12 (duodecimal) counting system was widely used because 12 is the smallest number divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. It became the standard count for eggs, rolls, bottles, and many other retail goods across Europe and North America. The baker's dozen of 13 items has a different origin: medieval English law imposed heavy fines for short-weight bread. Bakers began adding a thirteenth loaf to every order of twelve to avoid any risk of penalty, and the practice became customary. Today a baker's dozen simply means 13 of anything, and it is still used in the bakery and confectionery trade.
Score, gross, and great gross: the larger groupings
A score is 20 items. The word comes from Old Norse "skor," meaning a notch cut in a tally stick to record 20. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address opens with "Four score and seven years ago," meaning 87 years. A gross is 144 items, equal to 12 dozen or 12 squared, and is a standard wholesale quantity for pencils, buttons, and stationery. A great gross is 1,728 items, equal to 12 gross or 12 cubed, and appears in large bulk manufacturing and supply contexts. These groupings survive because their highly composite structure makes splitting orders among multiple buyers or machines very convenient.
How the conversion works
Every named grouping represents a fixed count of individual items. To convert from one grouping to another, the calculator first multiplies your input quantity by the item count of your starting unit to get a total item count, then divides that total by the item count of each target unit. For example, 5 gross = 5 x 144 = 720 items, which is 720 / 12 = 60 dozen, 720 / 20 = 36 scores, and 720 / 1728 = 0.4167 great grosses. Non-integer results are normal and simply mean the quantity does not divide evenly into that grouping.
Standard quantity groupings and their item counts
| Grouping | Items | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | 1 | Any single item |
| Pair | 2 | Socks, gloves, shoes, earrings |
| Half dozen | 6 | Eggs, beer cans, small pastries |
| Dozen | 12 | Eggs, donuts, rolls, bottles |
| Baker's dozen | 13 | Bakery goods (one extra for assurance) |
| Score | 20 | Historical counting, "fourscore and seven years" |
| Gross | 144 | Pencils, buttons, wholesale stationery |
| Great gross | 1728 | Bulk manufacturing, large wholesale orders |
Every named grouping used in trade, retail, and everyday English, with its exact item count and common uses.
Frequently asked questions
How many items are in a dozen?
A dozen is exactly 12 items. The word comes from Old French "douzaine" (from "douze," meaning twelve). It became a standard trade unit because 12 has more divisors than any smaller positive integer: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12, making it easy to split a dozen into equal groups of 2, 3, or 4.
How many items are in a baker's dozen?
A baker's dozen is 13 items. The tradition originated in medieval England, where bakers faced severe penalties for short-weight goods. To be safe, bakers added a thirteenth item to every dozen sold. The name stuck and today "baker's dozen" universally means 13.
What is a score in quantity terms?
A score is 20 items. It derives from Old Norse "skor," the mark made on a tally stick after counting 20. While no longer common in everyday commerce, "score" persists in literature and historical references, most famously in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address ("Four score and seven years ago," meaning 87 years).
What is a gross and why is it used?
A gross is 144 items, equal to 12 dozens (12 squared). It became a standard wholesale unit for small manufactured goods such as pencils, buttons, safety pins, and stationery, because 144 divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 24, and more, making it easy to package into smaller lots without leftovers.
What is a great gross?
A great gross is 1,728 items, equal to 12 gross or 12 cubed. It is used in bulk manufacturing and large wholesale contexts. The cubic relationship to 12 echoes the ancient base-12 counting system and makes the great gross naturally compatible with box-and-pallet packaging based on 12.
How do I convert dozens to units?
Multiply the number of dozens by 12. For example, 7 dozen equals 7 x 12 = 84 units. To go the other way, divide the unit count by 12: 96 units = 96 / 12 = 8 dozen. This calculator does both directions instantly.
Can I convert non-whole quantities?
Yes. Enter any decimal value and the calculator will convert it precisely. For example, 2.5 dozen = 30 items = 1.5 scores = 0.2083 gross. Fractional groupings are mathematically valid even if physical items come in whole numbers.