There are several ways to indicate a measurement of six feet, with different styles used depending on context and regional preferences. The important aspect is to maintain consistency and use the correct form for your intended purpose.
Writing without Abbreviations
If you are not using any sort of abbreviations, you would use the plural form of the unit and write it as “six feet”. This method is generally favored in more formal contexts. For instance:
He is six feet tall.
Writing Height with Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
An acceptable shorthand when representing feet and inches is to use the single apostrophe (‘) for feet and a double quote or apostrophe (”) for inches. In this representation, ‘six feet’ would be written as 6′. To represent ‘six feet two inches’, you would write it as 6’2″. Examples:
Her height is 6’2″.
The room’s ceiling is 9′ high.
Writing with Abbreviations
Another way to represent feet and inches is through abbreviations where the abbreviation for feet is ‘ft’ and for inches is ‘in’. In this case, ‘six feet’ is written as 6 ft and ‘six feet two inches’ is represented as 6 ft 2 in. For instance:
The ladder is 6 ft tall.
The average human is 6 ft 2 in tall.
Writing in Compound Forms
Finally, when using the expression of height as compound adjectives directly preceding a noun, we use hyphens. The compound form will be in the singular, as in ‘six-foot’ regardless of whether the number is greater than one.
He is a six-foot-tall man.
Conclusions
The manner in which you spell out ‘six feet’ varies based on the specific context in which it is being used. Your choice among the methods discussed should depend on the standards observed in your country or the specific style guide applicable to your writing. Consider the formality of your context and maintain consistency throughout. It’s important to note that these methods are not intermixable within the same context. If you start with ‘6 ft 2 in’, maintain the sameness throughout your writing to ensure clarity and precision.