FASTQ Quality Score Convesion Table
In FASTQ format, the fourth line encodes the quality score of sequences in the second line. This scheme was initially used by the Phred base-calling program to use ASCII characters to encode the probability that the corresponding base call is wrong in traditional Sanger sequencing. The same format is also used by Illumina/Solexa sequencing, however the mapping from probability values to characters is slightly changed from the Phred score and also varies between different version of Solexa sequencer. The exact formula is given somewhere else. The following lists the conversion table for each platform and/or version.
Range
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSS................... .............................. ....
.......................... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.............. ........
.............................. . IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIII................... ...
.............................. ...JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ JJJJJJJJJJJJ.................. ....
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLL.................. .............................. ....
!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<= >?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[ \]^_` abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~
| | | | | |
33 59 64 73 104 126
S - Sanger Phred+33, raw reads typically (0, 40)
X - Solexa Solexa+64, raw reads typically (-5, 40)
I - Illumina 1.3+ Phred+64, raw reads typically (0, 40)
J - Illumina 1.5+ Phred+64, raw reads typically (3, 40)
with 0=unused, 1=unused, 2=Read Segment Quality Control Indicator (bold)
(Note: See discussion above).
L - Illumina 1.8+ Phred+33, raw reads typically (0, 41)
Sanger sequencing score
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| char | value | Phred | Error-Prob. |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| ! | 33 | 0 | 1.0000000000 |
| " | 34 | 1 | 0.7943282347 |
| # | 35 | 2 | 0.6309573445 |
| $ | 36 | 3 | 0.5011872336 |
| % | 37 | 4 | 0.3981071706 |
| & | 38 | 5 | 0.3162277660 |
| ' | 39 | 6 | 0.2511886432 |
| ( | 40 | 7 | 0.1995262315 |
| ) | 41 | 8 | 0.1584893192 |
| * | 42 | 9 | 0.1258925412 |
| + | 43 | 10 | 0.1000000000 |
| , | 44 | 11 | 0.0794328235 |
| - | 45 | 12 | 0.0630957344 |
| . | 46 | 13 | 0.0501187234 |
| / | 47 | 14 | 0.0398107171 |
| 0 | 48 | 15 | 0.0316227766 |
| 1 | 49 | 16 | 0.0251188643 |
| 2 | 50 | 17 | 0.0199526231 |
| 3 | 51 | 18 | 0.0158489319 |
| 4 | 52 | 19 | 0.0125892541 |
| 5 | 53 | 20 | 0.0100000000 |
| 6 | 54 | 21 | 0.0079432823 |
| 7 | 55 | 22 | 0.0063095734 |
| 8 | 56 | 23 | 0.0050118723 |
| 9 | 57 | 24 | 0.0039810717 |
| : | 58 | 25 | 0.0031622777 |
| ; | 59 | 26 | 0.0025118864 |
| < | 60 | 27 | 0.0019952623 |
| = | 61 | 28 | 0.0015848932 |
| > | 62 | 29 | 0.0012589254 |
| ? | 63 | 30 | 0.0010000000 |
| @ | 64 | 31 | 0.0007943282 |
| A | 65 | 32 | 0.0006309573 |
| B | 66 | 33 | 0.0005011872 |
| C | 67 | 34 | 0.0003981072 |
| D | 68 | 35 | 0.0003162278 |
| E | 69 | 36 | 0.0002511886 |
| F | 70 | 37 | 0.0001995262 |
| G | 71 | 38 | 0.0001584893 |
| H | 72 | 39 | 0.0001258925 |
| I | 73 | 40 | 0.0001000000 |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
Solexa score (prior 1.3)
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| char | value | Phred | Error-Prob. |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| ; | 59 | -5 | 0.7597469266 |
| < | 60 | -4 | 0.7152527510 |
| = | 61 | -3 | 0.6661394246 |
| > | 62 | -2 | 0.6131368202 |
| ? | 63 | -1 | 0.5573116338 |
| @ | 64 | 0 | 0.5000000000 |
| A | 65 | 1 | 0.4426883662 |
| B | 66 | 2 | 0.3868631798 |
| C | 67 | 3 | 0.3338605754 |
| D | 68 | 4 | 0.2847472490 |
| E | 69 | 5 | 0.2402530734 |
| F | 70 | 6 | 0.2007600089 |
| G | 71 | 7 | 0.1663375308 |
| H | 72 | 8 | 0.1368068886 |
| I | 73 | 9 | 0.1118157698 |
| J | 74 | 10 | 0.0909090909 |
| K | 75 | 11 | 0.0735875561 |
| L | 76 | 12 | 0.0593509431 |
| M | 77 | 13 | 0.0477267210 |
| N | 78 | 14 | 0.0382865039 |
| O | 79 | 15 | 0.0306534300 |
| P | 80 | 16 | 0.0245033676 |
| Q | 81 | 17 | 0.0195623039 |
| R | 82 | 18 | 0.0156016622 |
| S | 83 | 19 | 0.0124327353 |
| T | 84 | 20 | 0.0099009901 |
| U | 85 | 21 | 0.0078806839 |
| V | 86 | 22 | 0.0062700123 |
| W | 87 | 23 | 0.0049868787 |
| X | 88 | 24 | 0.0039652856 |
| Y | 89 | 25 | 0.0031523092 |
| Z | 90 | 26 | 0.0025055927 |
| [ | 91 | 27 | 0.0019912892 |
| \\ | 92 | 28 | 0.0015823853 |
| ] | 93 | 29 | 0.0012573425 |
| ^ | 94 | 30 | 0.0009990010 |
| _ | 95 | 31 | 0.0007936978 |
| ` | 96 | 32 | 0.0006305595 |
| a | 97 | 33 | 0.0005009362 |
| b | 98 | 34 | 0.0003979487 |
| c | 99 | 35 | 0.0003161278 |
| d | 100 | 36 | 0.0002511256 |
| e | 101 | 37 | 0.0001994864 |
| f | 102 | 38 | 0.0001584642 |
| g | 103 | 39 | 0.0001258767 |
| h | 104 | 40 | 0.0000999900 |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
Solexa score 1.3+
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| char | value | Phred | Error Prob |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| @ | 64 | 0 | 1.0000000000 |
| A | 65 | 1 | 0.7943282347 |
| B | 66 | 2 | 0.6309573445 |
| C | 67 | 3 | 0.5011872336 |
| D | 68 | 4 | 0.3981071706 |
| E | 69 | 5 | 0.3162277660 |
| F | 70 | 6 | 0.2511886432 |
| G | 71 | 7 | 0.1995262315 |
| H | 72 | 8 | 0.1584893192 |
| I | 73 | 9 | 0.1258925412 |
| J | 74 | 10 | 0.1000000000 |
| K | 75 | 11 | 0.0794328235 |
| L | 76 | 12 | 0.0630957344 |
| M | 77 | 13 | 0.0501187234 |
| N | 78 | 14 | 0.0398107171 |
| O | 79 | 15 | 0.0316227766 |
| P | 80 | 16 | 0.0251188643 |
| Q | 81 | 17 | 0.0199526231 |
| R | 82 | 18 | 0.0158489319 |
| S | 83 | 19 | 0.0125892541 |
| T | 84 | 20 | 0.0100000000 |
| U | 85 | 21 | 0.0079432823 |
| V | 86 | 22 | 0.0063095734 |
| W | 87 | 23 | 0.0050118723 |
| X | 88 | 24 | 0.0039810717 |
| Y | 89 | 25 | 0.0031622777 |
| Z | 90 | 26 | 0.0025118864 |
| [ | 91 | 27 | 0.0019952623 |
| \\ | 92 | 28 | 0.0015848932 |
| ] | 93 | 29 | 0.0012589254 |
| ^ | 94 | 30 | 0.0010000000 |
| _ | 95 | 31 | 0.0007943282 |
| ` | 96 | 32 | 0.0006309573 |
| a | 97 | 33 | 0.0005011872 |
| b | 98 | 34 | 0.0003981072 |
| c | 99 | 35 | 0.0003162278 |
| d | 100 | 36 | 0.0002511886 |
| e | 101 | 37 | 0.0001995262 |
| f | 102 | 38 | 0.0001584893 |
| g | 103 | 39 | 0.0001258925 |
| h | 104 | 40 | 0.0001000000 |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
Solexa score 1.5+
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| char | value | Phred | Error Prob |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| C | 67 | 3 | 0.5011872336 |
| D | 68 | 4 | 0.3981071706 |
| E | 69 | 5 | 0.3162277660 |
| F | 70 | 6 | 0.2511886432 |
| G | 71 | 7 | 0.1995262315 |
| H | 72 | 8 | 0.1584893192 |
| I | 73 | 9 | 0.1258925412 |
| J | 74 | 10 | 0.1000000000 |
| K | 75 | 11 | 0.0794328235 |
| L | 76 | 12 | 0.0630957344 |
| M | 77 | 13 | 0.0501187234 |
| N | 78 | 14 | 0.0398107171 |
| O | 79 | 15 | 0.0316227766 |
| P | 80 | 16 | 0.0251188643 |
| Q | 81 | 17 | 0.0199526231 |
| R | 82 | 18 | 0.0158489319 |
| S | 83 | 19 | 0.0125892541 |
| T | 84 | 20 | 0.0100000000 |
| U | 85 | 21 | 0.0079432823 |
| V | 86 | 22 | 0.0063095734 |
| W | 87 | 23 | 0.0050118723 |
| X | 88 | 24 | 0.0039810717 |
| Y | 89 | 25 | 0.0031622777 |
| Z | 90 | 26 | 0.0025118864 |
| [ | 91 | 27 | 0.0019952623 |
| \\ | 92 | 28 | 0.0015848932 |
| ] | 93 | 29 | 0.0012589254 |
| ^ | 94 | 30 | 0.0010000000 |
| _ | 95 | 31 | 0.0007943282 |
| ` | 96 | 32 | 0.0006309573 |
| a | 97 | 33 | 0.0005011872 |
| b | 98 | 34 | 0.0003981072 |
| c | 99 | 35 | 0.0003162278 |
| d | 100 | 36 | 0.0002511886 |
| e | 101 | 37 | 0.0001995262 |
| f | 102 | 38 | 0.0001584893 |
| g | 103 | 39 | 0.0001258925 |
| h | 104 | 40 | 0.0001000000 |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
Solexa score 1.8+
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| char | value | Phred | Error-Prob. |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|
| ! | 33 | 0 | 1.000000e+00 |
| " | 34 | 1 | 7.943282e-01 |
| # | 35 | 2 | 6.309573e-01 |
| $ | 36 | 3 | 5.011872e-01 |
| % | 37 | 4 | 3.981072e-01 |
| & | 38 | 5 | 3.162278e-01 |
| ' | 39 | 6 | 2.511886e-01 |
| ( | 40 | 7 | 1.995262e-01 |
| ) | 41 | 8 | 1.584893e-01 |
| * | 42 | 9 | 1.258925e-01 |
| + | 43 | 10 | 1.000000e-01 |
| , | 44 | 11 | 7.943282e-02 |
| - | 45 | 12 | 6.309573e-02 |
| . | 46 | 13 | 5.011872e-02 |
| / | 47 | 14 | 3.981072e-02 |
| 0 | 48 | 15 | 3.162278e-02 |
| 1 | 49 | 16 | 2.511886e-02 |
| 2 | 50 | 17 | 1.995262e-02 |
| 3 | 51 | 18 | 1.584893e-02 |
| 4 | 52 | 19 | 1.258925e-02 |
| 5 | 53 | 20 | 1.000000e-02 |
| 6 | 54 | 21 | 7.943282e-03 |
| 7 | 55 | 22 | 6.309573e-03 |
| 8 | 56 | 23 | 5.011872e-03 |
| 9 | 57 | 24 | 3.981072e-03 |
| : | 58 | 25 | 3.162278e-03 |
| ; | 59 | 26 | 2.511886e-03 |
| < | 60 | 27 | 1.995262e-03 |
| = | 61 | 28 | 1.584893e-03 |
| > | 62 | 29 | 1.258925e-03 |
| ? | 63 | 30 | 1.000000e-03 |
| @ | 64 | 31 | 7.943282e-04 |
| A | 65 | 32 | 6.309573e-04 |
| B | 66 | 33 | 5.011872e-04 |
| C | 67 | 34 | 3.981072e-04 |
| D | 68 | 35 | 3.162278e-04 |
| E | 69 | 36 | 2.511886e-04 |
| F | 70 | 37 | 1.995262e-04 |
| G | 71 | 38 | 1.584893e-04 |
| H | 72 | 39 | 1.258925e-04 |
| I | 73 | 40 | 1.000000e-04 |
| J | 74 | 41 | 7.943282e-05 |
|------+-------+-------+------ --------|