How to Read a Ruler
By Joe Sexton on Feb 20, 2016
A ruler is a device for with measurement markings on it and used for
measuring. Rulers are used in math, construction, architecture,
sewing, landscaping, and more. According to Dictionary.com, a ruler is
a strip of wood, metal, or other material having a straight edge and
usually marked off in inches or centimeters, used for drawing lines,
measuring, etc.
There are several types of rulers including wooden or metal rulers,
yardsticks, seamstress tapes, measuring tapes, carpenters rules, and
architects scales. Rulers have measurements in imperial and metric,
imperial-only, or metric-only. Get more information on rulers, including
different types and uses, or download and print one of our free
printable rulers.
Using a Ruler – Standard Imperial
Measurements
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The markings on a standard ruler represent the fractions of an inch.
The markings on a ruler from the start to the 1″ mark are: 1⁄16“, 1⁄8“,
3⁄ “, 1⁄ “, 5⁄ “, 3⁄ “, 7⁄ “, 1⁄ “, 9⁄ “, 5⁄ “, 11⁄ “, 3⁄ “, 13⁄ “, 7⁄ “, 15⁄ “, and
16 4 16 8 16 2 16 8 16 4 16 8 16
1”. If the measurement is over 1″ simply use the number on the ruler
and add the fraction, eg. if youʼre two ticks past the number 3 tick
then the measurement is 3 1⁄8“.
What Do the Markings on a Ruler Mean
Reading a ruler starts with
understanding what all of the
ticks mean. The largest ticks
on a ruler represent a full Using a Ruler – Metric
inch and the distance
between each large tick is 1″.
Measurements
The large ticks that are in
between the inch markings Metric rulers have centimeter and millimeter
are half-inch markings, and
markings. The larger markings on a metric
the distance between an inch
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tick and a half-inch tick is ruler represent a centimeter.
1⁄ “.
2
The mid-sized ticks between
the inch ticks and half-inch
ticks are the quarter-inch
Watch for More Information on
ticks. The distance between a Reading a Ruler
quarter-inch tick and an inch
tick or a half inch tick is 1⁄4“.
The smaller ticks are the
eighth-inch ticks and may be
the smallest or second
smallest markings on the
ruler. The distance between
an eighth-inch tick and the
other larger ticks is 1⁄8“.
The smallest ticks on a ruler
are the sixteenth-inch ticks.
The distance between a
sixteenth-inch tick and the
other larger ticks is 1⁄16“.
The smaller ticks on a metric Ruler Measurements: Inch
ruler represent a millimeter.
There are 10 millimeters in a
Fractions on a Ruler
centimeter so there are 9
These are the measurements and fractions
millimeter ticks between each
centimeter tick.
that are on a ruler and the decimal and
millimeter
Howmetric equivalents.
to Read a Ruler If you need to convert larger inch
fractions to decimal or metric use our inch fraction calculator.
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Fraction, Decimal, and Millimeter Equivalent
Measurements
Ruler fraction measurements
converted to equivalent decimal and
millimeter metric values.
Fraction Decimal Millimeters
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1⁄ ”
16 0.0625 1.5875
1⁄ ” 0.125 3.175
8
3⁄ ” 0.1875 4.7625
16
1⁄ ” 0.25 6.35
4
5⁄ ” 0.3125 7.9375
16
3⁄ ” 0.375 9.525
8
7⁄ ” 0.4375 11.1125
16
1⁄ ” 0.5 12.7
2
9⁄ ” 0.5625 14.2875
16
5⁄ ” 0.625 15.875
8
11⁄ ”
16 0.6875 17.4625
3⁄ ” 0.75 19.05
4
13⁄ ” 0.8125 20.6375
16
7⁄ ” 0.875 22.225
8
15⁄ ” 0.9375 23.8125
16
1″ 1 25.4
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