The following abbreviations are for units used to measure length, height, or depth. They can also be used to measure distances and ranges.

• ft – foot/feet – A foot is twelve inches.
• fm – fathom – A fathom is six feet.
• in – inch/inches – An inch is 1/12 of a foot.
• mm – millimeter/millimeters – “Milli” comes from the Latin word for one thousand, but in measurements, it usually indicates one thousandth, not one thousand. A millimeter is one-thousandth of a meter.
• cm – centimeter/centimeters – “Centi” means one hundred, but just like “milli” in measurements, it means one hundredth, not one hundred. A centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter.
• m – meter/meters – A meter is equal to 39.37 inches, or slightly more than three feet.
• km – kilometer/kilometers – “Kilo” comes from the Greek word for one thousand. A kilometer is one thousand meters.
• yd – yard/yards – A yard is equal to three feet, or not quite a meter.
• mi – mile/miles – A mile is 5280 feet, 1760 yards, or approximately 1.6 kilometers.

Area has its own measurement units, which have abbreviations too. You’ll sometimes see these used in real estate abbreviations.

• ac – acre – An acre is a land measurement that’s equal to 1/640 square mile.
• sq mi/mi² – square mile – A square mile is a piece of land that is one mile wide and one mile long.
• sq yd/yd² – square yard – A square yard is an area that is one yard wide and one yard long.
• sq ft/ft² – square foot – A square foot is an area that is one foot long and one foot wide.
• sq in/in² – square inch – A square inch is an area that is one inch long by one inch wide.
• cm² – square centimeter – A square centimeter is an area that measures one centimeter in length and width.
• m² – square meter – A square meter is an area that measures one meter in length and width.
• km² – square kilometer – A square kilometer is an area that measures one kilometer long by one kilometer wide.

The following measurement abbreviations apply to weight:

• lb – pound/pounds – “lb” comes from the Latin word for pound, “libra.”
• oz – ounce/ounces – There are 16 ounces in a pound.
• mg – milligram/milligrams – A milligram is one-thousandth of a gram.
• g – gram/grams – A gram is one-thousandth of a kilogram.
• kg – kilogram/kilograms – A kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2 pounds.
• T – ton – A ton is 2,000 pounds.
• st – stone – A stone is a weight measurement that equals 14 pounds.

The following measurement abbreviations work for the volume or capacity of a container or space:

• tsp or t – teaspoon/teaspoons – A teaspoon is equal to about 1/6 of a fluid ounce or almost five milliliters.
• tbs, tbsp or T – tablespoon/tablespoons – A tablespoon is about half a fluid ounce, three teaspoons, or fifteen milliliters.
• c – cup/cups – A cup is half a pint or eight ounces.
• qt – quart/quarts – A quart is a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or about a liter (more or less, depending on whether it’s a US liter or a British liter).
• ml – milliliter/milliliters – A milliliter is one thousandth of a liter.
• l – liter/liters – A liter is a measure of capacity equal to 1000 cubic centimeters. If a container that size were filled with liquid, it would equal about 1.75 pints.
• pt – pint/pints – A pint is half of a quart.
• gal – gallon/gallons – A gallon is four quarts or not quite four liters.

Temperature also has specific measurement abbreviations, depending on whether you’re using Celsius or Fahrenheit.

• F – degrees Fahrenheit
• C – degrees centigrade/Celsius
• cal – calorie (small calorie)
• Cal – kilocalorie (large calorie)

These unit measurements work for speed:

• mph – miles per hour
• kph – kilometers per hour
• kn – knots. Nautical miles per hour. A nautical mile is about 2025 yards.