AC loss measurements in five single pancake coils wound with 4 mm wide commercial high temperature superconductor wires were carried out to investigate the dependence of coil AC loss on separation between the superconductor layers in the neighbouring coil turns (g) and coil turn number (N) for a given number of ampere-turns NI. The highest frequency was set at approximately 1 kHz. The AC losses measured at different frequencies agreed well with each other. AC loss in the coils with the same N increases with decreasing g. When g is increased to 1.5 times the tape width (6 mm), the loss level is similar to that in an isolated wire. Transport AC loss per unit length in the pancake coils increases with increasing turn number. However, when g is increased to 1.5 times the tape width, the loss level in the coils with different turn number is almost the same. This indicates that, at the same NI, a coil with greater N is advantageous, even considering the conductor length difference. Therefore to achieve a given level of NI for a coil and minimize AC loss, we should favour coils with more turns. Coil AC loss can be measured using voltage taps attached to copper blocks outside a coil with reasonable accuracy. This is important for measuring AC loss in a coil with a complicated structure where voltage taps are not able to be attached inside the coil. AC loss in a nine-turn pancake coil wound with a 5 m long 9/2 Roebel cable (i.e. with 9 mm x 2 mm width strands) was measured using voltage loops arranged in each Roebel strand in the central turn of the coil. The AC loss in the coil was compared with two straight 9/2 Roebel cables with and without spacing between the strands. The combination of inter-strand spacing and turn spacing is an effective way to reduce AC loss in a single pancake coil wound with a Roebel cable.