3.3 kΩ resistor colour code (3k3)
E6 series
3.3 kΩ reads as Orange · Orange · Red in bands. With ±5% it may sit anywhere from 3135 Ω to 3465 Ω.
Five bands
The first two bands are digits; the third is how many zeros follow. The gold band at the end is the ±5% tolerance.
- Value
- 3300 Ω
- 4k7 notation
- 3k3
- Four bands
- Orange · Orange · Red · Gold
- Five bands
- Orange · Orange · Black · Brown · Gold
- Multiplier
- ×10²
- Tolerance
- ±5%
- Actual range
- 3135 – 3465 Ω
- Series
- E6 series · E12 series · E24 series
Which end to start from · The tolerance band sits a little apart from the rest. Start from the crowded end. If you can see gold or silver, that band is the last one.
Same decade
The same twenty-four values repeat with a different number of zeros — 47 Ω, 470 Ω and 4.7 kΩ all start with the same two colours.
Nearby values
How to read this
- Colours are digits: black 0, brown 1, red 2, orange 3, yellow 4, green 5, blue 6, violet 7, grey 8, white 9.
- The third band counts the zeros. Yellow, violet, red means 47 with two zeros — 4.7 kΩ.
- A five-band resistor reads three digits, so its multiplier band drops by one step.
- The tolerance band sits slightly apart, which is how you know which end is the back.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What are the colour bands for 3.3 kΩ?
Orange · Orange · Red · Gold in four bands, or Orange · Orange · Black · Brown · Gold in five.
Q. How is 3.3 kΩ read?
The first two digits are 33, followed by 2 zeros, giving 3300 Ω. In short form, 3k3.
Q. What is the real value once tolerance is counted?
At ±5% it lies between 3135 Ω and 3465 Ω.
Q. Is 3.3 kΩ a common value?
It belongs to E6. That is the coarsest series, so it turns up everywhere.