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V-groove weld symbol: what it means on a drawing

Fillet Gauge editorial teamSources checked 3 min read

The V-groove weld symbol is two sloping strokes that meet on the reference line in a V. It calls for a groove weld in which both members are beveled, so the joint opens in a V shape. Below the line the V opens toward the arrow side; drawn on both sides of the line, it calls for a double-V groove.

A butt joint drawn end on with both plates beveled into a V and a small root opening, filled with weld metal, beside a V-groove symbol with 1/8 inside and 60 degrees beyond its open end
Inside the V: root opening. Outside it: groove angle. Numbers are invented.
Use this diagram

How to read it

  1. Find the side. Below the line, the groove is prepared and welded from the arrow side. Above the line, from the other side. On both sides, a double-V welded from both sides.
  2. Read the left side. Groove depth comes first, then the weld size in parentheses. 5/8 (1/2) means the groove is prepared 5/8 deep and the weld size is 1/2.
  3. Read inside the V. The number inside is the root opening, the gap between the members at the root. 1/8 means a 1/8 gap.
  4. Read beyond the open end. The angle outside the V is the groove angle, the total included angle between the two bevels. 60° means each member is beveled about 30° when the bevels are equal.
  5. Look opposite the V. A filled half-circle there asks for melt-through. An open half-circle is a back or backing weld. A contour mark on the V sets the face shape.

A groove weld that must go through the full thickness is often called out with CJP in the tail. Read the tail before you assume the depth.

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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

  • Groove angle or bevel angle. The groove angle is the whole V. The bevel angle is one member's share. A 60° V-groove is two 30° bevels when they are equal.
  • Root opening or root face. The opening is the gap between the members. The root face is the unbeveled land at the bottom of each edge. They are different dimensions.
  • V or bevel. A V has two sloping strokes, so both members are prepared. A bevel groove has one upright stroke and one sloping stroke, so only one member is.
  • V or fillet. A V meets the line at a point. A fillet triangle has a flat edge on the line.

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On the CWI exam

Groove symbols and their dimensions are core material in Symbols, Welding and NDE, at least 10% of CWI Part A, which is closed book. In Part B, Utilization of Specifications and Drawings is at least 8% of the practical, and groove dimensions are what you check against a part.

Practice it

Build a V-groove in the welding symbol builder on each side of the line and read it back. Compare the V with every other groove shape on the welding symbols chart, then drill the shapes in the welding symbols quiz.

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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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