hand span

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hand span" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
It refers to the distance between the tips of the thumb and little finger when the hand is fully stretched out. Example: "The gap between the beams was only a few hand spans, making it impossible for the small child to pass through."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

At 77.9mm wide, with smooth rounded sides that feel nice but are slippery to try and grip, the iPhone 7 Plus is simply too wide for me to manage with a – not abnormal – hand span of 23cm.

The Guardian - Tech

Also, the modest scale of the game — a nine-by-five table, a six-inch-high net, a little plastic ball, and a wooden racquet that is barely bigger than a hand span — makes it look so easy.

The New Yorker

In it, Azzam argued that not a single hand span of Muslim territory anywhere could ever be ceded to the enemy "because the land belongs to Allah and to Islam".

The New York Times - Magazine

His hand span, measuring only nine and a half inches, does not give him the wraparound control that basketball players like to have, but, despite relatively unimpressive shoulders and biceps, he is unusually strong, and he can successfully mix with almost anyone in the Greco-Roman battles under the backboards.

The New Yorker

Requiring a superhuman hand span — Mr. McMillen said he used a battery pack, a box of staples and his iPhone for help — the piece builds up mistlike chords that are suspended until their overtones hang in the air like flickering halos.

The New York Times - Arts

This study used biomechanical techniques to objectively investigate the effects of the size of hand span and right/left hands on the kinematic and kinetic performances when playing the piano.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

But the model in the gown, whose hand spans the Seine, ultimately conquers.

The New York Times - Arts

The works at hand spanned almost half a century, from 1893 (Debussy) through 1923 (Janacek) to 1941 (Britten) and represented disparate composers in very different stages of life.

The New York Times - Arts

In Jet's case competence reveals itself as tracks that are sort of fascinating in the way they're forever at least two hand spans from being even marginally good.

The Guardian - Music

His costumes for Cunningham's "Second Hand" spanned a rainbow spectrum of color when seen all together, but, he added, "I only remember that Viola Farber told me that they looked 'like a bunch of Easter eggs.' " The Cunningham-Johns collaboration included a magnum opus: "Un Jour ou Deux," choreographed in 1973 for the Paris Opera Ballet, and just revived there this fall.

The New York Times - Arts

(Bebo is tickled by his son's avoirdupois, and Chucho's large hands span the keyboard like those of another Atlas of the keyboards, the Canadian giant Oscar Peterson, although Chucho plays with a much livelier attack).

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hand span" when a rough estimate of length or width is sufficient, particularly when relating the size of an object to a human hand. For more precise measurements, use standard units.

Common error

Avoid using "hand span" in contexts where accuracy is crucial. While useful for quick estimations, it's not a substitute for measurements with rulers or other standardized tools. Specify whose hand span is being referenced if ambiguity is possible.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hand span" functions primarily as a noun phrase, often used as a unit of measurement. It describes a length or distance roughly equivalent to the span of a human hand, as illustrated in the Ludwig examples, where it's used to describe sizes and distances.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hand span" is a noun phrase used to describe a length or distance approximately equal to the width of a human hand. Ludwig's AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While it's a convenient way to provide a relative measurement, especially in informal contexts, it lacks the precision required for scientific or formal settings. As demonstrated by Ludwig, it's commonly found in News & Media, Science, and Wiki sources. For clearer communication, avoid using "hand span" when accuracy is crucial, and specify whose hand span is being referenced to avoid ambiguity. For more precise measurements, standardized units are recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thumb-to-pinky distance

Explicitly defines the measurement as the distance between thumb and pinky.

handbreadth

Replaces "span" with a synonym referring to the width of a hand.

palm width

Specifies the part of the hand used for measurement, narrowing the definition.

distance of a hand

Rephrases the concept using "distance" instead of "span".

length of a hand

Similar to "distance of a hand", but focuses on the linear dimension.

reach of a hand

Focuses on the extent a hand can cover or touch.

hand's reach

Similar to "reach of a hand", emphasizes what the hand can access.

extent of a hand

Uses a more general term, "extent", to describe the reach of the hand.

finger width

Narrows the measurement to the width of a finger, a smaller unit.

area of a hand

Shifts from linear measurement to surface area.

FAQs

How do you use "hand span" in a sentence?

You can use "hand span" to describe the length or width of something relative to the size of a hand. For example, "The shelf was about two "handbreadths" wide."

What is another way to say "hand span"?

Alternatives to "hand span" include "handbreadth", "palm width", or simply describing the measurement in inches or centimeters.

Is "hand span" a precise measurement?

No, "hand span" is not a precise measurement. It's an approximate measure, as hand sizes vary. For accurate measurements, use standardized units like inches or centimeters.

How does the "hand span" vary from the "arm span"?

The "arm span" is the distance from fingertip to fingertip with arms extended, while the "hand span" is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger in a single hand. Thus, arm span is a much larger measurement.