Round and square faces have the same proportions: both are only a little longer than they are wide, with a length-to-width ratio between 1.10 and 1.30. What separates them is the jaw. On a square face it is nearly as wide as the cheekbones and turns a visible corner; on a round face it is narrower and curves. Two measurements and a fingertip settle it, and the Face Shape Calculator does the arithmetic.
What round and square faces share
Both shapes sit in the same length band of the face shape chart, so the question that separates most shapes, “how long is your face?”, gives the same answer for both. Both look compact and close to as wide as they are long. Their forehead ranges overlap as well: 0.86 to 0.98 of the cheekbone width for round, 0.92 to 1.04 for square.
The difference is below the cheekbones. Like every face shape, both are styling reference points rather than anatomical types, so a face can sit on the line between them.
The measurement: jaw width against cheekbone width
Measure your jaw (C) straight across between the angles below each ear, and your cheekbones (B) straight across at their most prominent points. The measuring guide shows both lines. Divide C by B.
On a round face the jaw typically measures 0.80 to 0.92 of the cheekbones. On a square face it is 0.90 to 1.00: nearly the full width. Here is how the calculator scores a face with a length ratio of 1.20 and a forehead at 0.95 of the cheekbones as only the jaw changes:
| C/B (jaw) | Round score | Square score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.86 | 97 | 69 | Round |
| 0.90 | 90 | 83 | Close, round ahead |
| 0.92 | 83 | 91 | Close, square ahead |
| 0.95 | 73 | 97 | Square |
The crossover lies between 0.90 and 0.92. A wider forehead pulls it slightly lower, a narrower one slightly higher, because square foreheads run wider than round ones.
The corner test
The calculator measures widths, not angles, so the corner is a check you make yourself. It takes 30 seconds.
- Trace it. Pull your hair back, place a fingertip just below your earlobe and run it down and forward along the jawbone toward the chin. On a square face you feel a clear turn, and the bone then runs fairly straight toward the chin. On a round face the line curves continuously, without a distinct corner.
- Lay a straight edge along it. Hold a ruler or the edge of a card against the underside of your jaw, from the corner toward the chin. A square jaw follows the edge for a few centimeters; a round one curves away from it almost at once.
- Look at the outline. Take a straight-on photo at arm’s length or more, at eye level, with your hair pinned back. Look only at the space below the ears: corners or a curve?
If the measurement and the corner agree, you have your answer. If they disagree, for example a jaw at 0.92 with a soft curve, you are on the border and both sets of advice apply. Soft tissue can also blur a corner the bone has, which is one reason a face can read rounder at one time than another.
The 2.25-inch test for short hair measures something related, how far the jaw drops below the ear, and has its own guide.
Round vs square face at a glance
| Round | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Length to width (D/B) | 1.10 to 1.30 | 1.10 to 1.30 |
| Jaw (C/B) | 0.80 to 0.92 | 0.90 to 1.00 |
| Forehead (A/B) | 0.86 to 0.98 | 0.92 to 1.04 |
| Widest point | Cheekbones | Forehead, cheekbones and jaw nearly equal |
| Jaw corner | Curved, no distinct angle | Visible angle below the ear |
What changes between them
Both shapes are short, so both benefit from a cut with some lift that does not end in a heavy line at the widest point. The difference is where that widest point is. On a round face it is the cheekbones, so the advice is to add length: height at the crown, a main length below the chin and frames with some angle, as in hairstyles for a round face. On a square face the jaw is as wide as the cheekbones, so the focus moves lower: keep hems and volume off the jaw line and use curves to contrast with the corners, as in hairstyles for a square face.
On the border, take the one rule both shapes share, no heavy horizontal line at the cheekbones or jaw, and treat the rest as taste. The round face shape and square face shape guides cover glasses, earrings and brows for each.