# How big is the hole in a Compact Disc?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-hole-in-a-compact-disc/422506>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 12, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-hole-in-a-compact-disc/422506 "2007-10-12T20:27:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-hole-in-a-compact-disc/422506/1 "2007-10-12T20:27:59Z")

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I need to know the specification value for the diameter of the hole in the middle of a standard Compact Disc. With cite.

I measured one myself, and it looked to be 9/16 inch. However, I suspect the specification is in Metric units rather than inches.

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-hole-in-a-compact-disc/422506/2 "2007-10-12T20:33:54Z")

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> **[Compact disc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc)**
>
> The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and is capable of holding uncompressed stereo audio. First released in Japan in October 1982, the CD was the second optical disc format to reach the market, following the larger LaserDisc (LD). In later years, the technology was adapted for computer data storage as CD-ROM and subsequently expan...

> [@](#):
>
> Center spindle hole diameter: 15 mm

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-is-the-hole-in-a-compact-disc/422506/3 "2007-10-12T20:37:09Z")

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[15 mm](http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11471_na/11471_na.HTML)

ETA: What he (she?) said