Abbreviation for inches and its usage

An inch is typically a unit of length that’s equal to one-twelfth of a foot in the imperial and metric systems of measurements. That means twelve inches are in one foot.

It can be pretty challenging knowing how to abbreviate measurements in the two systems — the British and the US customary measurement systems. It’s important to understand that there are multiple ways to abbreviate these measurements, and you have to ensure that you’re doing it correctly. It’s also important to be consistent throughout your writing.

Inches are usually abbreviated with a double quotation mark (“) or written as the letters (in.) or (in). “In” is short for inches. There is no plural for inches abbreviation, but the letter form can be used for values above one inch.

For instance:

The classroom was 50 in. long.

The table measured 14”.

Where and when to use inches abbreviation

We often use the double quotation mark (“) after numbers as an abbreviation for inches. When abbreviating, use straight quotes instead of curly quotes.

When measuring the height of a person, use a single mark for feet and a double mark for the additional inches.

For example:

He is 6’8” tall.

The abbreviation for inches is commonly used in technical writing, online texts, and note-taking. When writing formal documents, you should try to use the full word (inch/inches).

In. or in is often used in research papers, academic papers, formulas, and studies.

Other measurements

What is the abbreviation for centimeters? (cm)

What is the abbreviation for meters? (m)

What’s the miles abbreviation? (mi)

What’s the abbreviation for feet?  (ft) or the single prime (‘)

How do you abbreviate millimeters? (mm)

What’s the abbreviation for kilometers? (km) or (k)