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Is 5’8 short for a guy? Or is 5’8 tall for a man?

Is 5’8 short for a guy? Or is 5’8 tall for a man?

Is 5’8 tall for a guy? Or is 5’8 short for a guy? As you’re about to learn, there are lots of 5 foot 8 men out there. But the height of 5’8 doesn’t fit well into either the short or tall categories because it’s only an inch under the average male height.

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Is 5’8 short for a guy or not?

Some men getting their height measured with a stadiometer

Is 5’8 short for a guy or not? No, the height of 5’8 is not short for a guy because 5 feet 8 inches is only one inch smaller than average for a man.

It’s important to remember that being shorter than average doesn’t mean that you’re outright short. Nowhere is this more true than with the height of 5 foot 8.

While 5’8 isn’t exactly what you’d call tall, it is a very common height for a man. Indeed, if you walk around any college campus or go out in any town or city, you’ll see plenty of 5’8 men.

Of course, some 5’8 guys don’t like their height. But what many of these men don’t realize is that they’re taller than over 90% of US women, which is ideal considering that males are generally expected to be taller than females. [1]

Related: How much should a 5’8 male weigh?

Is 5’8.5 tall for a man?

A man getting his height measured

Is 5’8.5 tall for a man? While 5 8 and a half definitely isn’t short, I wouldn’t say that a height of 5’8.5 is particularly tall for a man, either.

To be specific, 5’8.5 is half an inch shorter than average, which you could easily compensate for by wearing a shoe with a thicker heel.

As with 5 foot 8, 5 feet 8 and a half inches is a very common height for men. Sure, there are quite a few men who are taller and shorter, but in some places, 5’8 ½ could even be the precise average height.

In fact, in countries where men are shorter than in the US—and there are quite a few—5’8 and 5’8 ½ could even be slightly above average in terms of stature.

See Also: Is 5’8 tall for a girl?

What does 5’8 look like on a man?

A stadiometer displaying the height 5 feet 8 inches

In general, a 5’8 man looks completely normal and doesn’t stand out as either tall or short. The simple reason for this is that there are lots of 5 foot 8 men, meaning that a 5’8 guy will easily blend in height-wise.

Now, you can be a 5’8 male with broad shoulders, for example, or you can be more narrow.

In other words, while every 5’8 guy is similar in terms of height, there are other physical characteristics and features that will affect how your body looks as a whole.

Similarly, the way you dress, stand, and walk may make people think that you’re taller or shorter than 5ft 8in. More on that in a sec.

How can a 5 foot 8 man maximize his height?

A man walking in the street

The best way to maximize your height is to practice good posture because doing so enables you to stand confidently and display your maximum skeletal height.

You won’t get much taller by improving your posture, and simply stretching—for any length of time—won’t increase your height. Still, you can gain a slight amount of extra height by walking tall and practicing good posture.

Also, a 5’8 person can appear taller by wearing shoes with a thicker heel or sole. 

If you think about it, most people don’t consciously pick shoes based on how much additional height they can get from them. But if you do, then you’ll essentially get a height advantage over other people.

Finally, if you really want to be taller than 5 foot 8, then you can always wear thick insoles that boost your height. But honestly, at the pretty decent height of 5’8, I think that height-increasing products might be unnecessary for a lot of 5’8 people.

5’8 height FAQ

A thoughtful looking man

This 5’8 height FAQ will go into more detail about the specifics of being a 5’8 male and will also discuss some other interesting 5-foot-8-related topics.

Is 5’8 tall for a guy?

Is 5’8 tall for a guy? In the United States and similar countries, 5’8 is not considered tall for a guy because such a height is, statistically, an inch shorter than average.

But in other places, where the average height is lower than in the US, it’s possible that 5’8 might be considered tall for a man. 

Some locations have shorter men than others due to environmental factors and what researchers would call Quality of Life factors. [2] So, depending on where you are, you might look quite a bit taller than 5’8.

Is 5’8 a good height for a guy?

Is 5’8 a good height for a guy? Yes, I would say that 5’8 is definitely a good height for a guy because, at 5 foot 8, you’re quite far from being short, and you won’t get any unwanted attention due to your height.

As mentioned, 5’8 men won’t stand out due to their height, which can be beneficial if your height is something that you’re self-conscious about.

Add in the fact that a 5’8 guy will be taller than the vast majority of women, and you can see why 5 foot 8 really is a decent height for men.

How tall is 5’8 in centimeters and meters?

The height of 5’8 is equal to 172.72 centimeters and 1.7272 meters. It can be useful to know the 5’8 height conversion, seeing as much of the measurement data is in metric units.

Who are some 5’8 celebrities and actors that are male?

Some 5’8 male celebrities and actors are Ed Sheeran, Zac Efron, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Downey Jr., Bill Maher, and Ant McPartlin.

In conclusion: What’s life like for a 5’8 man?

A man standing on a stadiometer

A 5’8 man shouldn’t be concerned about his height. Yes, it’s statistically an inch shorter than average, but there are so many men who are 5’8 or smaller that you really can’t call 5 foot 8 a bad height.

And just look at all of the 5’8 male celebrities! I only listed a few to give you some ideas, but there are literally dozens and probably hundreds of famous 5’8 men across a wide range of careers.

So, in summary, 5’8 guys should embrace their height, especially considering that there are many shorter guys who wish that they were as tall as you.

References

  1. Cousounis, P. A., Lipman, T. H., Ginsburg, K., Cucchiara, A. J., & Grimberg, A. (2014). How Short is Too Short According to Parents of Primary Care Patients. Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists20(11), 1113–1121. https://doi.org/10.4158/EP14052.OR
  2. German, A., Mesch, G., & Hochberg, Z. (2020). People Are Taller in Countries With Better Environmental Conditions. Frontiers in endocrinology11, 106. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00106