Round and oval faces look alike in most respects: both are widest at the cheekbones, both have a forehead a little narrower and a jaw that curves to the chin. The one measurement that separates them is length divided by width. Below about 1.30, a face reads round; above it, oval. You can check yours in a minute with the Face Shape Calculator, or by hand with a ruler as described below.
What round and oval faces share
Compare the two in the face shape chart and the forehead ranges are almost the same: 0.86 to 0.98 of the cheekbone width for round, 0.88 to 1.00 for oval. The jaw ranges overlap too, with round at 0.80 to 0.92 and oval at 0.75 to 0.88. Both shapes taper below the cheekbones.
That is why a quiz that asks “where is your face widest?” or “is your jaw soft?” cannot tell them apart. Both answers come out the same.
The measurement that settles it: length to width
Measure your face length (D) from the center of your natural hairline to the bottom of your chin, and your cheekbone width (B) straight across at the most prominent points. Divide D by B.
| Shape | Typical D/B | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Round | 1.10 to 1.30 | Face barely longer than it is wide |
| Oval | 1.30 to 1.50 | Face clearly longer than wide, but not long |
Because the whole decision rests on D, take it carefully. Keep your head level: tipping the chin up shortens the measurement, tipping it down lengthens it. Measure from where your hairline is, or was, at the center, not from where a fringe starts. The measuring guide covers the other mistakes that skew it.
The border band around 1.30
Face shapes are a styling framework, reference points on a continuous scale rather than anatomical types, so the calculator does not switch from round to oval at an exact number. It scores your face for every shape by how close each ratio sits to the center of that shape’s range, so faces near 1.30 get two high scores. Here is what happens to a face with a forehead at 0.92 and a jaw at 0.85 of the cheekbone width as the length changes:
| D/B | Round score | Oval score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.20 | 100 | 59 | Clearly round |
| 1.25 | 95 | 67 | Round |
| 1.30 | 84 | 78 | Close call, round ahead |
| 1.35 | 73 | 89 | Oval |
| 1.40 | 65 | 94 | Clearly oval |
Near 1.30, the jaw tips the balance. At a length of exactly 1.30, a narrower jaw (0.80 of the cheekbones) scores 82 for oval and 70 for round, while a wider jaw (0.90) scores 77 for round and 63 for oval. In other words, a defined taper moves the border down, and a fuller jaw moves it up. When the two top scores are less than 10 points apart, the calculator says so and suggests borrowing from both.
Round vs oval face at a glance
| Round | Oval | |
|---|---|---|
| Length to width (D/B) | 1.10 to 1.30 | 1.30 to 1.50 |
| Widest point | Cheekbones | Cheekbones |
| Jaw | Soft, fuller, 0.80 to 0.92 of the cheekbones | Tapering, 0.75 to 0.88 of the cheekbones |
| Chin | Rounded, close to the cheeks | Narrower, at the end of a gentle taper |
| Overall impression | Compact, curved | Balanced, slightly long |
If you are still in between
Take the measurement twice, a day apart, with your hair pinned back both times. If you still land between 1.27 and 1.33, you are not undecided; you are both, and the styling advice can be combined.
The difference between round and oval hairstyles comes down to one rule. A round face benefits from a little extra length: lift at the crown and a main length that falls below the chin, as hairstyles for a round face explains. An oval face does not need the extra length, so most cuts work, with the caveats in the oval face shape guide. If you are on the border, follow the round rule for where your cut ends and choose freely otherwise. The same goes for frames: shapes a little wider than they are tall, with some angle, work for both, and glasses for a round face covers the details. For a fuller picture of each shape, see the round face shape guide.