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How to read prescription


How to Read a Glasses Prescription

Understanding your eyeglass prescription is the first step toward ordering eyewear that gives you perfect clarity and comfort. You might already know whether you're nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism—but reading the numbers on your prescription slip can feel confusing. This guide breaks everything down so you can confidently enter your details when ordering glasses from Mafami.

Why Reading Your Prescription Matters

After your eye exam, your optometrist gives you a prescription that reflects your updated vision needs. Those numbers determine exactly how your lenses will be crafted. Keeping your prescription current is essential to ensure you get the sharpest, most comfortable vision possible.

When shopping for glasses online, you’ll often need to input your prescription manually. Understanding what each term means makes the process simple and stress-free.

What Do All These Letters and Numbers Mean?

Every glasses prescription includes a set of abbreviations that describe how your lenses should be made. Here’s a breakdown of the most common terms:

SPH (Sphere)

This number indicates the strength of your lens power for nearsightedness or farsightedness.

  • A minus (-) value means you’re nearsighted.

  • A plus (+) value means you’re farsighted.

CYL (Cylinder)

This number shows the lens power needed to correct astigmatism.
If blank, you likely don’t have astigmatism or it’s very mild.

Axis

The Axis works with the CYL value to pinpoint the exact angle of your astigmatism correction.
It ranges from 1 to 180 degrees.

ADD (Near Addition)

This is the additional magnifying power required for reading or progressive lenses.
Commonly added for people 40+ or those prescribed multifocal lenses.

Prism

Used for correcting eye alignment issues (such as double vision).
Not everyone will have this value.

PD (Pupillary Distance)

Your PD measures the distance (in millimeters) between your pupils.
This ensures the center of each lens lines up perfectly with your eyes for accurate, comfortable vision.