Are 4b pencils the same as 4hb pencils?

No, 4B pencils and 4H pencils are not the same. The "B" in 4B stands for "black," indicating a softer lead that produces a darker mark, while the "H" in 4H stands for "hard," indicating a harder lead that produces a lighter mark. The grading scale for pencils ranges from H (hard) to B (black), with F (fine point) in between, so 4B is much softer than 4H.