In the United States and Canada, the standard garden hose connection is commonly called 3/4-inch garden hose thread, or GHT. The more precise designation is 3/4-11.5 NH or NHR, meaning the fitting uses 11.5 threads per inch.
This fitting size is separate from the hose’s inside diameter. A 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch, or 3/4-inch garden hose can still use the same standard hose-end connection.
The Standard Garden Hose Thread
Federal screw-thread standards have long listed garden hose connections separately from ordinary pipe threads. The National Institute of Standards and Technology reference tables identify the common garden-hose sizes and standardized hose coupling dimensions; this NIST screw-thread standards reference documents the hose-coupling system.
Although people often call the connection “3/4-inch GHT,” the actual outside diameter of the male thread is about 1 1/16 inches. The 3/4-inch designation is a nominal hose-coupling size, not a direct measurement of the thread’s outside diameter.
Hose Diameter and Fitting Size Are Different
The hose diameter controls how much water can move through the hose. Common residential hose diameters include 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, and 3/4 inch. The connector at the end can still be the same standard garden hose thread on all three.
Do Not Confuse GHT With NPT
Garden hose thread is a straight hose-coupling thread. National Pipe Thread, or NPT, is a different plumbing thread system. A hose fitting and a pipe fitting may look close in size but are not intended to screw directly together without the correct adapter.
Male and Female Hose Ends
A typical garden hose has a female swivel fitting on the supply end and a male threaded fitting on the outlet end. The female end connects to the outdoor faucet, while the male end accepts a nozzle, sprinkler, another hose, or another hose-thread accessory.
Use a Washer to Stop Leaks
The seal in a standard female garden hose fitting usually comes from a rubber or synthetic washer inside the coupling, not from forcing the threads as tight as possible. Replace a flattened or missing washer before assuming the threads are damaged.
Match the Hose to the Garden
A 5/8-inch hose is a common all-purpose choice for household watering. Smaller hoses are lighter but move less water, while larger hoses can provide more flow over long distances. Container gardens often need gentler, more frequent watering; our guide to container vegetable gardening covers some of those smaller-space watering needs.
Vertical systems can dry quickly, so reliable hose and irrigation connections matter there too. See our vertical gardening guide for more on watering elevated containers and trellised crops.
Raised beds also benefit from dependable watering once the soil is in place. Our guide to filling a raised garden bed explains how soil structure and drainage affect moisture management.
The Short Answer
For a standard North American garden hose, look for a 3/4-11.5 NH/NHR garden hose connection. Do not use the hose’s 1/2-, 5/8-, or 3/4-inch inside diameter to identify the thread, and use the correct adapter whenever you need to connect garden hose thread to pipe thread.