How to Read Height Measurements
The way you read a height measurement depends on how the height was originally measured. Measurements for the height of smaller objects are typically written in feet, inches format. However, height measurement for large objects can be written in feet or even meters, depending on the object's overall size.
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Look for a single apostrophe to the immediate right of a number in a height measurement. This is an abbreviation for feet. If your height measurement is written as 6', for example, it is properly read as six feet.
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Look for an quotation mark to the immediate right of a number in a height measurement. This is an abbreviation for inches. This is commonly paired with a foot measurement when a measurement describes a person or another similarly sized object. A height measurement written as 5' 10", for example, would be properly read as five feet, ten inches.
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Keep track of any other unit of measurement abbreviations that would be next to your height measurement. Because buildings are so tall, for example, the height of such a structure is commonly expressed in either feet without inches or meters. Meters would be abbreviated as m, so a height measurement of 200m is properly read as 200 meters.
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Writer Bio
Stephen Lilley is a freelance writer who hopes to one day make a career writing for film and television. His articles have appeared on a variety of websites. Lilley holds a Bachelor of Arts in film and video production from the University of Toledo in Ohio.
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