How to Write and Punctuate Measurements Correctly
How to write measurements correctly is a hot topic for technical editors and I suspect will remain so for eternity.
Ultimately, there is no absolutely correct and absolutely-wrong way of writing anything. I’ve seen so many different writing guidelines and style books recommending so many different principles that I cannot in all good conscience be an absolutist in this matter.
Yet I also have to admit that there do exist “time-honored” ways of spelling and punctuation widely used by most technical communicators to write measurements. Here is my take on some of them:
No period after abbreviations, except one
Only “in” for inch takes a period afterward, in order to differentiate it from the preposition “in.” Others don’t.
Incorrect
1 cm.
1 in
1 lb.
Correct
1 cm
1 in.
1 lb
Non-breaking space in between a number and the measurement unit
Why? If you write measurements this way and if your number ends up at the end of a line, the measurement will not appear all alone in the beginning of the next line. It makes sense to keep a number and its unit together, at all times. Thus, the non-breaking space.
To insert a non-breaking space in MS Word (Windows PC), press Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar. On a Mac, press Option+Spacebar.
Leave one space between a number and its unit and do not italicize the unit abbreviation.
Incorrect
1cm
1 mm
1lb
Correct
1 cm
1 mm
1 lb
A bit (b or bit) versus a byte (B)
A bit is the abbreviation of “binary digit” and its value is either one (1) or zero (0).
A byte, on the other hand, means “a collection of bits” and is used to code alphanumeric characters. That’s why it does not make sense to talk about “bit size” (it’s always 1 digit) but makes perfect sense to refer to “byte size” (since the number of bits in a byte differs from one application to another). If in doubt, you can safely assume that 1 Byte is 8 bits.
Recommended practice: write out bits openly as in “123 kbits” to differentiate it from “bytes.”
Recommended
1 B (byte)
1 bit (bit)
1 MB (megabyte)
1 Mbits
Physical Dimensions and Screen Resolution
Write the physical dimensions of a page or an object by using the word “by” and not multiplication sign or the letter “x”.
Use the multiplication sign “x” (× in HTML) (but not the letter “x”) for expressing screen resolution.
Incorrect
8.5×11 inches
1280 by 1024
Correct
8.5″-by-11″ or 8.5-by-11-inches
1280 x 1024
Different notation for dates
God knows how many mistakes have been committed in the past due to the differences in American and non-American way of writing the dates. 5/11/2010 is May 11, 2010 in the USA but November 5, 2010 in many other countries around the world. That’s why I have to classify the American way of writing dates as “incorrect” since it can lead to errors, depending on the cultural background of the reader.
Incorrect
5/11/2010
12/1/2010
Correct
May 11, 2010
December 1, 2010
Singular and plural for units
If the measurement is less than one use singular unit — except for zero :-). For units of measure larger than one use plural units.
Incorrect
0 inch
0.7 inches
10 inch
Correct
0 inches
0.7 inch
10 inches
No comma for addresses, decimal fractions, and page numbers
Incorrect
page 3,358
67,890 Main Street
0.85,674
Correct
page 3358
67890 Main Street
0.85674
SEE “The Difference a Comma Makes”
Different notations for decimal point
Also take note that again USA and some other countries use period and comma differently when marking a decimal point.
USA
$ 1,200,000 (One million and two hundred thousand dollars)
3,400.25 (Three thousand four hundred and a quarter)
Some other countries
$ 1.200.000 (One million and two hundred thousand dollars)
3.400,25 (Three thousand four hundred and a quarter)
ALSO: Perhaps the best technical style guide in the market today…
RESOURCES
You might also find this article useful on how to write measurements when designing or purchasing furniture.
What about inches and fractions?
1-1/2″, OR one and one half inches, OR 1 1/2″
Good question. Microsoft Style Guide does not offer too much help. It recommends writing everything as a decimal like “1.25 in.”.
However, the “Handbook of Technical Writing” (by Gerald J. Alred et al.) is more helpful. It suggests writing it as 271/4 inches, with 1/4 in smaller font size and concatenated right after 27 (without space) that I cannot duplicate here due to HTML restrictions. I think what’s more important than anything else is to pick a style from one of these well-known tech style guidelines and stick to it consisdtently throughout the document. Good luck!
Hi all,
what about ‘L x W x H’-dimensions?
Is it necessary to write out the unit of measurement after each number? e.g. 1200 mm x 1000 mm x 600 mm OR 1200 x 100 x 600 mm?
Besides, I often meet fused writing of number and unit (e.g. 10mm) – are there any objective reasons for it? it is contrary to the rules concerning metric measurements, as I know.
Alena, good question. Sorry for the delay in response as I was traveling and did not have good Internet connection. I`d write it as 1200 mm x 1000 mm x 600 mm to make it absolutely clear that all dimensions are in millimeters. When in doubt always choose clarity over elegance or economy of expression. As technical writers we are here to be clear first, elegant second 🙂 Also, I would not fuse the unit and keep it separate as 10 mm. Best regards, Ugur
What about when you are describing the number of things AND their measurement? For example: three inch long strips. Does this mean I have three strips that are each an inch long? Or does it mean I have an unspecified number of strips that are each three inches long?
When do you turn measurements as in a ruler into decimals or fractions?