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What Is the Average Length of the Adult Hand?
The average length of the adult hand varies by gender. For adult men, it's 7.44 inches (18.9 cm), while among adult women, it's 6.77 inches (17.2 cm). The difference in the lengths of the hands between genders is the result of a concept known as sexual dimorphism. Similar gender-based proportional differences are found throughout measurements of the different parts of the human body.
Sexual dimorphism describes the differences that occur between the separate sexes of the same species. The difference in the length of the adult hand in humans is one example, while the difference in the coloration of male and female birds is another. Exact distinctions between genders vary greatly in nature.
Although the average length of the hand differs from person to person and by gender, it actually still has some proportionality relative to the individual. One example is that a hand with fingers extended will cover the face exactly. These types of ratios are independent of a person's gender.
The average adult hand breadth for a male is 3.3 inches (8.4 cm). For an adult woman, the same measurement averages 2.9 inches (7.4 centimeters). Just like the length of the hand, the breadth has some proportional relationships to the body that are independent of gender. The breadth of the hand, for example, is the same distance from the bottom of the chin to the tip of the nose.
The human hand itself has several interesting proportions within its own structure. The fingers of the hand, which are broken down into four bones from the wrist to the finger tip, express a very close approximation to a mathematical formula known as the Fibonacci sequence. This can be seen because each of the bones from the tip of the finger to the wrist is roughly 1.6 times larger than the bone that precedes it. The ratio of the length of the hand to the length of the forearm also is 1.6, continuing the sequence. This type of pattern is found throughout nature.
The various dimensions of the hand have played different roles in measurement throughout history. One measurement is actually called a "hand" and is used to record the height of horses. The original measurement was the breadth of the hand, but it has since been standardized. The official measurement of a hand in relation to horses is 4 inches (10 centimeters).
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![Whether male or female, the length of your fingers will cover your face from top to bottom.]()
By: Nikolai SorokinWhether male or female, the length of your fingers will cover your face from top to bottom. -
![X-ray of the hand.]()
X-ray of the hand.
Discussion Comments
Hand length is 7.89 in., and is 4 inches across.
I'm a female and my hands measure 8 in x 3.5 in. Way above average!
@Scrbblchick -- You're right! First thing I did was get out my measuring tape and measure my hands! They're right about average: six and a half inches long and almost three inches across.
I do have longer fingers compared to my palm height. It does make rings look nice on my hands, but I don't know that it made learning typing or anything any easier.
I guess we all want what we can't have. I wish my fingernails would grow long, but they just get to a certain point and break, and that's it.
I'm betting everyone who reads this article will measure their own hands right off the bat. I have short fingers and broad palms. I measured my hands and the length from the base to the tip of my middle finger is just at six inches, while my palm is about three inches wide. But people have remarked on how small my hands are. it's probably why piano was always a real challenge for me. I can barely get an octave on one hand. I had to be really creative. I do much better with wind instruments that don't require long fingers.
I wish the rest of me (like my feet!) were in proportion to my hands. Itty bitty hands and I wear an 8 1/2 shoe. That just does not compute.
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