You’ve just had an eye test and now you’re holding a piece of paper that looks like it belongs in a maths textbook. SPH? CYL? AXIS? You’re not alone in thinking it looks confusing — but don’t worry, it’s actually pretty straightforward once you know what you’re looking at.
Whether this is your first pair of glasses or you’re just brushing up before ordering online, this guide from 2020glasses.co.uk will help you understand your prescription, step by step.
What Does Your Glasses Prescription Actually Mean?
Your prescription is essentially a set of instructions for how your lenses should be made to correct your vision. Here’s what each part means:
SPH (Sphere)
This indicates the strength of your prescription.
If it’s a minus (-)number, you’re short-sighted (you see better up close).
If it’s a plus (+)number, you’re long-sighted (you see better at a distance).
The number itself represents how strong the correction needs to be. The further away from zero, the stronger the prescription.
CYL (Cylinder)
This corrects astigmatism, which is when the shape of your eye causes blurred or distorted vision. If you don’t have astigmatism, this box might be left blank.
AXIS
This goes hand-in-hand with the CYL value and tells us the angle (from 1 to 180 degrees) at which your astigmatism needs correcting. If CYL is present, AXIS will be too.
ADD (Addition)
This is the extra magnification required for reading or close-up work, often used for people who wear bifocals or varifocals. It’s commonly needed from your mid-40s onwards and is added on top of your distance prescription.
PRISM
Used to correct eye alignment issues like double vision, prism is only on prescriptions for certain conditions. If it’s on there, just enter it as shown — we’ll take care of the rest.
What an Example Prescription Might Look Like
Eye
SPH
CYL
AXIS
ADD
Right (OD)
-2.50
-0.75
180
+2.00
Left (OS)
-2.00
-0.50
170
+2.00
This tells us you’re short-sighted in both eyes, have a little astigmatism, and need help with close-up tasks like reading.
How to Use Your Prescription on 2020glasses.co.uk
Once you’ve got your prescription, shopping with 2020glasses.co.uk is simple:
Choose your frames– Explore our collection of styles, shapes and colours.
Enter your prescription– We’ll guide you through it, step by step.
Or upload a photo of your prescription– Even easier.
Leave the rest to us– We custom-make your lenses to order and ship them straight to your door.
Buying glasses online with 2020glasses.co.uk is quick, easy, and tailored to you.
Quick Recap
SPH– Corrects long- or short-sightedness
CYL– Corrects astigmatism
AXIS– Specifies angle of astigmatism correction
ADD– Needed for reading or varifocal lenses
PRISM– Fixes eye alignment, if needed
Need Help?
Not sure how to enter your prescription? Want a second opinion before you check out? Just get in touch — the team at 2020glasses.co.uk is here to help every step of the way.
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How to Read Your Glasses Prescription Like a Pro
Your no-nonsense guide from 2020glasses.co.uk
You’ve just had an eye test and now you’re holding a piece of paper that looks like it belongs in a maths textbook. SPH? CYL? AXIS? You’re not alone in thinking it looks confusing — but don’t worry, it’s actually pretty straightforward once you know what you’re looking at.
Whether this is your first pair of glasses or you’re just brushing up before ordering online, this guide from 2020glasses.co.uk will help you understand your prescription, step by step.
What Does Your Glasses Prescription Actually Mean?
Your prescription is essentially a set of instructions for how your lenses should be made to correct your vision. Here’s what each part means:
SPH (Sphere)
This indicates the strength of your prescription.
The number itself represents how strong the correction needs to be. The further away from zero, the stronger the prescription.
CYL (Cylinder)
This corrects astigmatism, which is when the shape of your eye causes blurred or distorted vision. If you don’t have astigmatism, this box might be left blank.
AXIS
This goes hand-in-hand with the CYL value and tells us the angle (from 1 to 180 degrees) at which your astigmatism needs correcting. If CYL is present, AXIS will be too.
ADD (Addition)
This is the extra magnification required for reading or close-up work, often used for people who wear bifocals or varifocals. It’s commonly needed from your mid-40s onwards and is added on top of your distance prescription.
PRISM
Used to correct eye alignment issues like double vision, prism is only on prescriptions for certain conditions. If it’s on there, just enter it as shown — we’ll take care of the rest.
What an Example Prescription Might Look Like
This tells us you’re short-sighted in both eyes, have a little astigmatism, and need help with close-up tasks like reading.
How to Use Your Prescription on 2020glasses.co.uk
Once you’ve got your prescription, shopping with 2020glasses.co.uk is simple:
Buying glasses online with 2020glasses.co.uk is quick, easy, and tailored to you.
Quick Recap
Need Help?
Not sure how to enter your prescription? Want a second opinion before you check out? Just get in touch — the team at 2020glasses.co.uk is here to help every step of the way.
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