Constant Content

Hi all,

I'm writing an article that, for the first time, has a few measurements thrown in. The sentence in question is "A 2ft x 2ft box about 18 inches deep is about right if you're just starting out."

The question is, do I spell out the number two? How about foot? Should I use "by" instead of an "x"? I'm assuming that "18 inches" is okay, but maybe I should use the symbols ' and " for feet and inches? Should I have a space between 2 and ft?

Agh, I just couldn't find what I was looking for on Purdue Owl. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it! Thank you...

Sarita

The most important thing to remember is consistency. If you abbreviate one unit, you should abbreviate all of them. Use "ft" and "in" or "feet" and "inches", but don't use "ft" with "inches". Avoid using the symbols (' and ") in this context, as they are particularly easy for people to miss or mistake. As for "by" vs "x", I would generally err towards using "by" as it sounds much better and you only type an extra character for each usage.

The short version is to write out the numbers, units and other words ("by") whenever possible, excepting only numbers with a decimal or at least three digits (1.2 or 356).

If I were to rewrite your sentence, I would make it like this:

"A box two feet by two feet by eighteen inches deep is about right if you're just starting out."

Alternatively, the repetition of "two feet" might confuse people, so this might be even better:

"A box two feet square by eighteen inches deep is about right if you're just starting out."

Thank you!

The article was approved several days ago. I had written "A two foot square box about eighteen inches deep..." and it passed muster. It was almost exactly word for word what you recommended. Your post was very informative, so I'm planning to keep it handy.

Thank you,

Sarita