Units of Measurement in English
Explore common units of length, area, weight and volume used in English. Learn what each unit means, how it is abbreviated and how to convert it into metric units.
Note: Most of the liquid and weight conversions below use British imperial units. Some US customary units, including pints and gallons, are different.
Length
| Unit | Meaning / clue | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| inch (in) | About the width of a thumb | 1 in = 2.54 cm |
| foot (ft) | 12 inches | 1 ft = 12 in = 30.48 cm |
| yard (yd) | 3 feet | 1 yd = 3 ft = 0.9144 m |
| mile (mi) | A long distance used on roads | 1 mi = 1760 yd = 1.609344 km |
Area
| Unit | Meaning / clue | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| square inch (sq in) | Area of a 1-inch square | 1 sq in = 6.4516 cm² |
| square foot (sq ft) | Area of a 1-foot square | 1 sq ft = 929.0304 cm² |
| square yard (sq yd) | Area of a 1-yard square | 1 sq yd ≈ 0.8361 m² |
| square mile (sq mi) | Area of a 1-mile square | 1 sq mi ≈ 2.59 km² = 259 ha |
Weight and mass
| Unit | Meaning / clue | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| ounce (oz) | A small unit of weight | 1 oz ≈ 28.35 g |
| pound (lb) | 16 ounces | 1 lb = 16 oz ≈ 0.4536 kg |
| quarter (qr) | 28 pounds (British) | 1 qr = 28 lb ≈ 12.70 kg |
| hundredweight (cwt) | 112 pounds (British) | 1 cwt = 112 lb ≈ 50.80 kg |
| long ton | 2,240 pounds (British) | 1 long ton = 2240 lb ≈ 1016.05 kg |
Volume and capacity – British imperial units
| Unit | Meaning / clue | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| fluid ounce (fl oz) | A small measure of liquid | 1 fl oz ≈ 28.41 ml |
| pint (pt) | 20 imperial fluid ounces | 1 pt = 20 fl oz ≈ 0.5683 l |
| quart (qt) | 2 imperial pints | 1 qt = 2 pt ≈ 1.1365 l |
| gallon (gal) | 4 imperial quarts | 1 gal = 4 qt ≈ 4.5461 l |
| bushel (bu) | A measure of dry capacity | 1 bu = 8 gal ≈ 36.37 l |
Other units
| Unit | Meaning / clue | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| US dry quart | US dry volume unit | 1 US dry qt ≈ 1.1012 l |
| bushel per acre | Crop yield per acre | 1 British bu/acre ≈ 0.898 hl/ha |
| hectolitre per hectare | Crop yield per hectare | 1 hl/ha ≈ 1.113 Britishego bu/acre |
| cubic metre (m³) | Volume of a 1-metre cube | 1 m³ = 1000 l = 10 hl |
Examples in English
- The room is twelve feet long.
- She bought two pounds of apples.
- The village is five miles away.
- We need a gallon of water.
Explore more: English vocabulary topics.
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