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Ten Things You Maybe Didn't Know About the Stone

1. The stone is a traditional British unit

The stone is an old British unit of weight that dates back to medieval times. Originally, it was used to measure things like grain, wool, and other goods. Over time, the stone became standardized to 14 pounds, or about 6.35 kilograms.

2. It’s mostly used in the UK and Ireland

Today, the stone is still used in the UK and Ireland to measure body weight. While most other countries use kilograms for weight, in the UK, many people prefer to say "I weigh 11 stone" instead of giving their weight in kilograms.

3. It’s equal to 14 pounds

One stone is equal to 14 pounds, which is approximately 6.35 kilograms. This makes it a convenient unit for measuring weight when you need something a little larger than pounds but not as bulky as a kilogram.

4. Still used in sports, especially boxing

The stone is commonly used in sports like boxing and wrestling to categorize athletes by weight. For example, a boxer may be categorized as “heavyweight” if they weigh more than a certain number of stones.

5. It’s not used in many other parts of the world

Unlike the kilogram or pound, the stone isn’t widely used outside the UK and Ireland. Most countries have switched to the metric system, so the stone remains a quirk of British tradition that hasn’t been fully replaced by kilograms.

6. It’s based on historical trade standards

The weight of the stone wasn’t always fixed at 14 pounds. In fact, the weight of a stone used to vary depending on the commodity being weighed. But in the 14th century, the stone was standardized to 14 pounds for simplicity and fairness in trade.

7. A convenient weight unit for people

For people in the UK, the stone is a handy unit for measuring body weight because it falls somewhere between pounds and kilograms. It’s larger than pounds, so it feels more manageable, but it’s smaller than kilograms, making it easier for people to visualize their weight.

8. Popular in informal conversations

In everyday conversations, Brits often use the stone to talk about their weight casually. For example, someone might say they “lost two stone” or “weigh 10 stone” in a friendly, informal way. It’s a cultural preference that persists alongside the metric system.

9. The stone is part of the imperial system

Like the pound, the stone is part of the imperial system of measurements. It has been used for centuries in the UK and is still a familiar and useful unit in many British households, even as the country officially uses the metric system for most other measurements.

10. The stone is still recognized in legal contexts

Despite being an old unit, the stone is still legally recognized in the UK for certain purposes, such as in official documents or medical settings. It’s part of the British legal system’s transition from imperial to metric units, where some traditional units still hold sway.