Clear communication is paramount, and even seemingly simple details like writing height can cause confusion if not handled consistently. This guide provides definitive answers for various scenarios, ensuring your writing remains professional and unambiguous. Whether you’re crafting a formal document or a casual message, understanding the nuances of height notation is essential.
Just as attire varies with occasion, so does writing style. Formal writing demands precision, while informal writing allows for more relaxed conventions.
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS): The gold standard for formal writing, CMOS emphasizes clarity and consistency. In formal contexts like academic papers and legal documents, it often prefers spelling out measurements (e.g., “five feet ten inches”) and using spelled-out numbers.
Associated Press (AP) Style: Widely used in journalism and online publications, AP style prioritizes brevity. It typically uses numerals and symbols (e.g., 5’10”). This concise approach suits fast-paced news environments and informal communication.
Choosing the appropriate style guide depends on your audience and purpose. A dissertation requires the formality of CMOS, while a social media post benefits from the conciseness of AP.
Deciphering Feet and Inches
The most common way to express height using the imperial system is with numerals, an apostrophe for feet, and quotation marks for inches (e.g., 5’10”). However, formal writing adhering to CMOS may require spelling out the measurement (“five feet ten inches”). Regardless of your chosen style, consistency within a single document is crucial. Mixing numerical and spelled-out forms creates a jarring reading experience.
Embracing the Metric System
Globally, the metric system reigns supreme. Expressing height in centimeters (cm) or meters (m)—for instance, 175 cm or 1.75 m—offers unparalleled clarity and avoids ambiguity. Similar to the imperial system, maintain consistency within your writing. Avoid switching between metric and imperial units within the same document.
Hyphenation: A Critical Detail
When using height as an adjective to describe a noun, hyphens are indispensable. For example, “a six-foot-tall man” correctly employs hyphens to link “six,” “foot,” and “tall” into a single adjective modifying “man.” Omitting hyphens disrupts the flow and can lead to misinterpretation. “A five foot ten inch tall woman” requires hyphens to become the grammatically correct “a five-foot-ten-inch-tall woman.”
Addressing Specific Scenarios
For heights without inches, include a zero after the foot marker for clarity. Someone exactly six feet tall is written as 6’0″. While shorthand notations like “5’10” are common in informal contexts, prioritize clarity, especially in professional writing. Using the full notation, like “five feet, ten inches” (CMOS) or “5 foot, 10 inches,” (AP) eliminates any potential for misunderstanding.
Consistency: The Key to Clarity
Selecting a style guide (CMOS or AP) and a measurement system (imperial or metric) is the foundation. Consistency is the cornerstone. Imagine reading a text that vacillates between “five feet, eight inches” and “5’8″”. The inconsistency is distracting and unprofessional. Consistent notation eliminates ambiguity and ensures your writing is easily understood.
Practical Examples
Let’s illustrate these principles with examples.
Style
Height
Correct?
Explanation
AP
5’10”
Yes
Correct AP style abbreviation.
CMOS
five feet, ten inches
Yes
Correct spelled-out form for CMOS. Note the comma between “feet” and “ten.”
AP
1.8 m
Yes
Correct metric notation in AP style.
CMOS
180 cm
Yes
Correct, although CMOS might prefer “one hundred eighty centimeters” in extremely formal contexts.
AP
6-foot-4
No
Incorrect. When used as an adjective, inches must be included: 6-foot-4-inch. Also, in descriptive use, numerals should be separated from the unit of measure by a space: 6 foot, 4 inches.
CMOS
Six foot tall
No
Incorrect. Requires hyphenation: six-foot-tall.
Conclusion: Achieving Clarity and Precision
Mastering height notation enhances communication and professionalism. By understanding the nuances of style guides, measurement systems, and hyphenation, you present information accurately and effectively, ensuring your writing is clear, consistent, and impactful.
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