How Tall Is 48 Inches?

Since 12 inches make a foot, anyone or anything that stands 48 inches is exactly 4 feet tall. A yard is exactly 3 feet, so 48 inches or 4 feet is approximately 1.33 yards. One mile measures 5,280 feet, which means that there is exactly 1,320 four-foot lengths in a mile.

When You Were Four Feet Tall

On average, both boys and girls in the US are 48 inches or four feet tall between the ages of 6 to 7. The ideal weight for both boys and girls at this height should be between 36 to 60 pounds. From the age of 4, children normally grow at a pace of at least 2 inches per year until puberty. Pediatricians usually check the height of children at their regular checkups to determine if they are growing at a normal pace.

How to Measure Your Child’s Height at Home

For this simple process, you’ll be using a hardcover book and a pencil:

Step 1: Choose a room in the house with a hard floor.

Step 2: Make sure that your child is not wearing shoes, socks, and bulky clothing.

Step 3: Make your child stand straight with his or her back against the wall. Their arms should be on the side and their heels touching the wall.

Step 4: Have the child look straight ahead, with the head is not tilted up or down.

Step 5: After making sure that the child’s feet are flat on the floor, place the book on his head. With edge of the book pressed flat against the wall, make a pencil mark on the wall where your child’s head touches the book.

Step 6: Use a measuring to tape to determine the child’s height. Note it next to the pencil mark on the wall (or simply take note). 

Understanding Growth Patterns

Pediatricians encourage parents to take height measurements of their children once they start walking. Taking and recording measurements regularly will help you and your child’s physician establish a pattern of growth to track how your child is progressing. Growth specialists prefer at least 12 months of measurements to help them establish your child’s growth pattern. A clinical grown chart allows you to see what percentile your child is at compared to the heights of other children the same age.  

It will also be helpful to download a growth chart app on your smartphone or any other device where you can record your child’s progress. The app will help you track your child’s growth and compare his or her growth progression to a healthy child of the same build. 

The Inch and Foot

Both the inch and foot length units are part of the British imperial system of measurement. This system is based on the old English units, the roots of which date as far back as 450 CE when Germanic tribes were invading England. During this period of history, Anglo-Saxon England used length measurements that are still used in the present day.

The US customary units of measurements are largely similar to the imperial system, save for volume measurements. The following show how tall 48 inches is in other imperial system units.

48 inches = .66 fathom (1 fathom = 72 inches)

48 inches = .242 rod (1 rod = 16.5 feet)

The furlong measures about an eight of a mile. There are exactly 165 four-foot lengths in a furlong.

The Metric System

Most countries in the world have shifted to the metric system of measurement. The US and the UK governments have also made efforts to promote the use of the metric system. This system of measurement is based on 10s, which means that the incremental units increase or decrease by 10.

Length units in the metric system include millimeter (mm), centimeter (cm), meter (m) and kilometer (km). Below shows how tall 48 inches is in the metric system.

48 inches = 121.92 centimeters (1 in = 2.54 cm)

4 feet = 1.2192 meters (1 ft = 0.3048 m)

An individual’s height is often declared in feet and inches when using the US customary system of measurement. Countries using the metric system usually declare an individual’s height in centimeters.