Is a 4 Inch Height Difference Noticeable Between Couples?

When you think about 4 inches as a simple measurement as measured on a ruler, it doesn’t seem that much. But when you look at a 4 inch height difference couple, for example, the height difference is often quite striking.

Of course, things like footwear and posture can influence how short or tall someone looks next to their partner. But that granted, even footwear with a generous heel is unlikely to offset more than 30% of a 4 inch difference in height.

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Is a 4 inch height difference between couples noticeable?

A happy couple enjoying some time outside

A 4 inch height difference between couples (or even just two people in general) is very noticeable indeed. While the taller person wouldn’t absolutely tower over the shorter individual, the four inch height difference would be clear for everyone to see.

Based on the data, the average height difference between men and women is around 5 inches, meaning that a four inch difference in height is very much in the normal category.

Also, if a man is much taller than average, then there’s much more likely to be a large height difference between himself and his partner. The opposite of this is also true; shorter men are more likely to have and prefer a smaller height difference between themselves and their partner. ^[1]

As for a 4 inch height difference between two men, this is also normal because height varies based on your genetics. Of course, some men might not like being 4 inches shorter than other guys, but there’s nothing wrong with being on the shorter side.

That said, in theory, it’s definitely possible for a guy to be 4 inches shorter than another man while still being pretty tall himself.

How about a 4.5 inch height difference?

A 4.5 inch height difference is pretty large and is most commonly observed between male-female couples because men tend to be significantly taller than women on average.

As mentioned, there are also some tall men who are around 4.5 inches taller than other guys on average.

Still, most men are not 4.5 inches taller than the average man, but they are around 4.5 inches taller than most women, hence why such a height difference is most common between couples.

Can the girlfriend be 4 inches taller than the boyfriend?

Can she? Sure. But is this common? No, definitely not. It’s very rare for a girl to be 4 inches taller than her boyfriend.

In fact, based on the height data of 720 couples, research shows that on only one occasion was the woman taller than the man, and I doubt that it was by 4 inches. ^[2]

Of course, there’s far more to a good relationship than just the height of the couple. Still, it is certainly very uncommon for the girl to be 4 inches taller than the guy because she’d obviously be physically bigger than him.

How can you reduce or increase a four inch height difference?

You can use the same tactics—posture improvement and footwear choice— to both increase or reduce a four inch height difference.

For example, if you feel that you’re too short in comparison to your partner or anyone else, then you can opt for a shoe with a thicker heel.

On the flip side of this, you could get your partner to wear such shoes and opt for a flatter shoe yourself so that they look even taller.

Improving your posture will also make you look a bit taller, but not by a significant amount. Standing tall definitely makes you look more confident and even more imposing, but it won’t dramatically increase or reduce a 4 inch difference in height.

See More: How to grow 4 inches taller

The verdict: Is a four inch height difference normal?

A 4 inch height difference between couples, although definitely noticeable, is also perfectly normal, presuming, of course, that the guy is 4 inches taller than the girl.

You could say, even, that a 4 inch difference in height is ideal because it’s a noticeable difference but not an absolutely huge height gap.

Of course, couples can have a significantly larger or smaller height difference than four inches depending on their own height. A tall woman, for example, is likely to have a smaller height difference between herself and her partner because, compared to the average woman, there are simply fewer men who are taller than her.

References

Pawłowski B. (2003). Variable preferences for sexual dimorphism in height as a strategy for increasing the pool of potential partners in humans. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 270(1516), 709–712. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2294
Gillis, J. S., & Avis, W. E. (1980). The Male-Taller Norm in Mate Selection. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 6(3), 396–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/014616728063010