How to Read a Tape Measure

Step 1: Whole Inches

Locate the longest numbered lines—these are full inches (1", 2", 3", etc.).

Step 2: Half-Inch Marks

Find the second-longest unnumbered line halfway between inch marks—that’s 1/2".

Step 3: Quarter & Eighth Increments

The next-longest lines divide the half-inch into 1/4" (quarter) and then 1/8" (eighth) increments.

Step 4: Sixteenth-Inch Ticks

The smallest lines are 1/16" apart—count from the nearest eighth-inch mark.

Standard 1/16th tape measure representation

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Practice reading more measurements in the Tape Measure Practice section.