Height

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

When talking about a person's height, how do conversions work?
If I want to convert 1.70 m into feet, the result is 5.57743 ft. Yet, height is usually expressed in feet and inches, and 0.577 are not inches, so I have to convert again 0.57743 ft. to inches; then I get 1.70 m = 5 ft 7 in. Is there a more straight way to calculate this? Or should I just go and find a conversion table?

Also, in Spanish I would read "un metro setenta (centímetros)"; how do I read aloud "1.70 m" in English --"One point seventy meter"?

Is it right to read "5 ft 7 in" as "five foot seven"?

Thanks in advance.

[Rusty]

5 ft 7 in is as close as you need to get during the conversion process.

1.70 m is read 'one point seven meters'.

If you're giving your height, and you're '5 ft 7 in' tall, you say, "I'm five foot seven." The inches are understood.

This website does the conversion into feet and inches (round the inches to the nearest half inch).

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, Rusty!

A student asked me recently about this and I found out I'd never studied it myself. Apart from that, I've only found very confusing websites to learn how to read these numbers.

[wrholt]

For some reason I've always favored a different method of converting adult human heights: I always convert inches to centimeters (multiply by 2.54 cm/in or divide by .3937 in/cm) or centimeters to inches (divide by 2.54 cm/in or multiply by .3937 in/cm).

There's a trick that helps: the majority of adult humans have heights between 5 feet = 60 inches and 6 feet = 72 inches, so for me converting heights in this range between feet/inches and total inches is a matter of memory rather than of calculation: 5 foot 7 = 67 inches, and 67 inches = 5 foot (67 - 60) inches -> 5 foot 7. Converting between centimeters and meters even simpler, of course.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, Wrholt!

Thinking in inches does make it easier.

[Sancho Panther]

If I was using metric in UK (now almost universal amongst under thirties) I would say "One metre seventy". Whether this will still apply in a few years times when (or if!) we exit the EU remains to be seen.

For the record (as if you cared!) it is my belief that it will not last for ever (these things seldom do!) but while it does exist we should remain in it.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, Sancho.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

If you're giving your height, and you're '5 ft 7 in' tall, you say, "I'm five foot seven." The inches are understood.

In casual conversation this can even be shortened to "I'm five seven." The feet and inches are both understood.


EDIT: An interesting thing to note is that when describing a person's height, you say "five foot" not "five feet." I'm sure there is an interesting explanation as to why.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, David. I had noticed that, but I've never asked why.