Height

Metric height and feet/inches

Human height and object height are usually written either in metric units (centimetres or metres) or in feet and inches. Medical forms, clothing size charts, aviation, and sports all switch between these styles. This page keeps centimetres, metres, and decimal feet synchronised, and also shows a whole-feet-plus-inches readout that matches how people speak (“five foot ten”).

Conversion factors

• 1 metre = 100 centimetres
• 1 foot = 0.3048 metres (exact) = 12 inches
• 1 inch = 2.54 centimetres (exact)

When you edit centimetres, metres, or decimal feet, the other numeric fields update together. The feet-and-inches readout decomposes the same height into whole feet plus remaining inches for easier verbal use.

Worked example

Someone 180 cm tall is 1.80 m, about 5.905 ft as a decimal, or 5 ft 11 in after splitting into whole feet and inches. A doorway marked 6 ft 8 in is 80 inches, which is 203.2 cm.

Tips for accurate measuring

Stand against a flat wall without shoes for body height, look straight ahead, and mark the crown of the head before measuring to the floor. For furniture or clearances, measure twice — once at each end of a shelf or frame — because floors and walls are rarely perfectly true.

Common mistakes

• Entering 5.10 as “five foot ten” in a decimal-feet field — 5.10 ft is 5 ft + 0.10×12 ≈ 5 ft 1.2 in, not 5′10″.
• Mixing body-height inches with waist inches on health calculators without converting units first.
• Using metres when a form expects centimetres (1.75 vs 175).

FAQs

Why show both decimal feet and ft+in?

Decimal feet are handy for calculation; feet and inches match spoken height and many clothing charts.

Do I need this for BMI?

Yes — BMI needs a consistent height unit. Try the Body Indexes calculator after converting.

Related: Body Indexes, Weight, Ideal Weight.