A spark plug having a noble metal tip that is joined to a tip-joining surface of a ground electrode so as to face an end face of a center electrode. When the noble metal tip is projected onto a projection plane parallel to the tip-joining surface, the noble metal tip has an elliptical shape in the projection plane. When the ground electrode is also projected onto the projection plane, an angle of 45° or less is formed between the major axis of the elliptical shape in the projection plane and a straight line extending in the lengthwise direction of the ground electrode and passing through the center of the noble metal tip in the projection plane.