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Stitch weld symbol: what it means on a drawing

Fillet Gauge editorial teamSources checked 3 min read

A stitch weld, also called an intermittent weld, is a row of short weld segments with gaps between them. On a welding symbol it shows as two numbers joined by a hyphen to the right of the weld symbol: the segment length first, then the pitch, which is the center-to-center spacing of the segments.

Two fillet symbols with top views of the joint. With size only, one continuous bead. With 3-10 after the triangle, segments 3 long whose centers are 10 apart, leaving a gap of 7
Pitch is measured center to center, so the gap is pitch minus length.
Use this diagram

How to read it

  1. Read the size on the left. The number left of the triangle is still the fillet size. Stitching changes where the weld goes, not how big it is.
  2. Read length, then pitch. In 1/4 3-10, each segment is 3 long and the segments sit 10 apart, center to center.
  3. Work out the gap. The clear space between segments is pitch minus length: 10 minus 3 leaves 7. Get this wrong and every segment lands in the wrong place.
  4. Check both sides of the line. Stitch notation on both sides of the line means stitches on both sides of the joint. If the two symbols line up, the segments sit opposite each other (chain). If the symbols are offset along the reference line, the segments alternate from side to side (staggered).
  5. No hyphen, no stitch. A single number to the right is just a length. No number at all means a continuous weld along the full joint.

The word "stitch" isn't written on the drawing. The length-pitch pair is the whole instruction.

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Question 1 of the free 10-question check on CWI Part A. No signup. Then ask Tack, the AI study buddy, why the answer is right and the others are wrong.

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Symbols - Welding and NDE

On a welding symbol, what does a circle at the junction of the arrow and the reference line indicate?

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Common mix-ups

  • Pitch as the gap. The most common slip. 3-10 is not 3 on and 10 off; it's 3 on and 7 off.
  • "2-6" as a range. It isn't 2 to 6. It's one length and one pitch.
  • Chain or staggered. Aligned symbols mean opposite segments. Offset symbols mean alternating segments. Look at where the triangles sit, not just at the numbers.
  • Stitches and all around. A continuous perimeter weld uses the weld all around symbol. Stitches leave gaps by design.

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On the CWI exam

Length and pitch are dimension reading, part of Symbols, Welding and NDE, which is at least 10% of CWI Part A. Part B drawings test the same skill under Utilization of Specifications and Drawings, at least 8% of the practical exam, where you also measure what the numbers call for.

Practice it

Enter a length and pitch in the welding symbol builder and check that its plain-words reading matches yours. Revisit size and side on the fillet weld symbol page, see where the numbers sit on the welding symbols chart, and go deeper on chain, staggered and both-sides cases in fillet weld symbols explained.

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Take the free 10-question check. It's weighted to the Part A outline, scored by domain and needs no signup, so you see whether symbols or another domain costs you the most points. The Part A course gives you a lesson on reading welding and NDE symbols and on every other exam subject, two full-length timed practice exams, and a worked explanation with every answer.

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Facts checked 24 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.

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