Talk:Millimetre

How do you convert the millimetre into inches?

One inch is 2.54 centimetres, and each centimetre has 10 millimetres. So therefore, 25.4 millimetres per inch. TehPoep 08:28, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

That is, divide by 25.4. JIMp _talk·cont 03:57, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Preferred spelling: Millimeter (7,560,000 hits) preferred over Millimetre (1,170,000 hits) by about 7 to 1.

Millimetre is a relatively uncommon spelling.

I'll add that ...meter is the official US standard spelling. It's not like it's some sort of rogue spelling. I recommend reconsideration of the default spelling. — fcsuper ^{(How's That?, That's How!)} _{(Exclusionistic Immediatist )} — 03:14, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

Actually, metre is the base unit, and it is spelled as it is because that's the spelling used in the International System of Units. It would be rather silly to change to use a spelling from one of the very few countries not to use the system.-gadfium 06:56, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

It wouldn't be silly at all. The official US spelling is meter (by law, so there is some official to this), and given the number of hits the different terms are getting, I'd say the users are voting as well. It's silly to dismiss these facts. — fcsuper ^{(How's That?, That's How!)} _{(Exclusionistic Immediatist )} — 23:21, 20 June 2010 (UTC)

I would say in this case the number of google hits for "millimeter" is irrelevant. The metric system is more strongly associated with Commonwealth countries because it is the dominant measurement system in those countries, therefore Commonwealth spelling is most appropriate for Wikipedia articles on metric units. Wcp07 (talk) 08:10, 21 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes, if the USA ever properly converts to the metric system, American editors may have a stronger position from which to argue, but as the country is staunchly resisting such change, to want to change the accepted international spelling in a system they are avoiding using is simply outrageous. HiLo48 (talk)

It'd be nice to have an opinion from someone who isn't so cynical about the states to begin with. WVI (talk) 09:42, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

Information on conversion to inches needs to be in the first paragraph

The first question asking

"How do you convert the millimetre into inches?"

seeks the information sought by most English-speakers who access this article. For them, stating the conversion to inches is the simplest, clearest, most succinct explanation of the term.

The straightforward explanation kindly given in response should be added to the first paragraph of the article.

One inch is 2.54 centimetres, and each centimetre has 10 millimetres. So therefore, 25.4 millimetres per inch.

For the many who well-understand "inch" (179,000,000 hits) this conversion to inches is the first, the main, or the only explanation that they need.