DIMENSIONS

Generally express numbers one through nine in words rather than figures, and spell out units of measure indicating depth, height, length, weight, width.

The word by is preferred, but the lowercase symbol “x” is acceptable in informal usage.

Hyphens are used in compound modifiers with numbers when they precede nouns.

He is five feet five inches tall; a five-foot-five-inch man; a five-foot-five man,

—or he is five feet five, or he is five five

a seven-footer on the basketball team

a five-foot-three woman; she is five three

a 300-pound chimpanzee, a 300-pounder

a seven-pound three-ounce koala

the troika was 20 feet long, nine feet wide, and six feet high

a three-acre farm, but a 3.4-acre farm

a 3,000-square-foot swimming pool

a 20-meter (65.6-foot) stretch of grass

the chamber was six feet long by six feet wide

a 10-by-12-foot rug, a 10-by-12 rug,

a three-by-five-inch card, a three-by-five card, a three-by-five

Informally: a 4 x 6 inch print, a 4" x 6" print, a 4 x 6 print