What happens if the number on my speakers are more than the number on the back of my stereo?

on the back of my stereo there is a number with what looks like headphones next to the number. the number is 8. now i smell this weird smell. i checked the back of both of my speakers and they both say 16. is this bad. what could happen?

or:on the back of my stereo there is a number with what looks like headphones next to the number. the number is 8. now i smell this weird smell. i checked the back of both of my speakers and they both say 16. is this bad. what could happen?

or:They don't make 16 ohm speakers. The symbol is for ohms. It's a measure of how much the speaker resists current. Too high of ohms can burn out an amp.