The yard (symbol: yd) is a unit of length commonly used in the United States, United Kingdom, and a few other countries. It is mainly used for measuring medium-length distances, especially in sports, construction, and everyday outdoor measurements.
A yard is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches. It is longer than a foot but shorter than a mile, making it useful for measuring fields, fabric, gardens, and sports distances.
Here are common real-world examples to help visualize one yard:
Feet are better for short distances, while yards are used when measurements become slightly larger.
Yards are slightly shorter than meters and are mainly used in non-metric systems.
Frequently used yard conversions include:
Yards are commonly used in:
Yards play a critical role in sports like American football, golf, and swimming. They help describe progress, distance, and performance in a simple and familiar way.
The yard is a practical middle-ground unit between feet and miles. From sports fields to home projects, yards make measuring medium distances simple and intuitive.