a hand/a span

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PinkLady
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a hand/a span

Post by PinkLady »

Are these sentences correct (and do they mean the same)?



a) "Barron is about a hand taller than his father."


b) "Barron is about a span taller than his father."




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Thank you.
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Josef Essberger
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Re: a hand/a span

Post by Josef Essberger »

In principle, yes. But…

hand (4”)
This is usually used when talking about horses.

span (9”)
Apple Dictionary (among several other definitions):
the maximum distance between the tips of the thumb and little finger, taken as the basis of a measurement equal to 9 inches.

So span technically means 9 inches. But I for one have never heard it used to talk about humans.
English Prepositions List by Josef Essberger
Extremely useful ebook full of examples and visual aids to learn prepositions :ok: Inés Barbero
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