How the builder places each part
The arrow points at the joint. Marks below the reference line are for the arrow side and marks above it are for the other side. AWS A2.4:2020 covers this in clause 6.1, and the May 2025 Inspection Trends feature works through it on a real joint.
The size goes to the left of the weld symbol. The length goes to the right, and a pitch follows it after a hyphen, so 2-6 means 2 long segments spaced 6 apart, center to center (Projectmaterials). A2.4 covers these in clauses 7.2 to 7.5 for grooves and 8.2 to 8.4 for fillets.
A circle where the arrow meets the reference line means weld all around, and a flag at the same point means a field weld (clauses 6.11 and 6.9). The 2020 foreword limits the flat contour mark to fillet welds and uses the flush mark on groove, plug and slot welds, which is why the builder offers one or the other. It also says a value to the left of a spot or seam weld now gives size only, with any strength requirement in the tail.
A2.4 does not require units (clause 1.2), so read the numbers in the units the drawing states. Staggered intermittent welds, groove depth, root opening, groove angle, finishing letters and tail notes are left out to keep the builder simple; look them up by clause in your copy.
Send a symbol to your class or print it
Build the symbol you want to talk about and press Copy a link to this symbol. The link opens the builder on that exact symbol, so a study partner or a whole class sees the same drawing and the same reading. Print this symbol puts the drawing, its reading and the link on one page for your notes or a handout.
Next, practice reading symbols you didn't build on the welding symbols quiz, or follow the method in how to read welding symbols on drawings. Every shape and dimension seat is on one printable page in the welding symbols chart.