What is a barleycorn?

A barleycorn is a historic length unit equal to one third of an inch, originally based on the length of a barley grain.

What does mil (thou) stand for in length measurement?

A mil or thou is one thousandth of an inch, commonly used in U.S. manufacturing to indicate very small thicknesses and tolerances.

Why convert barleycorn to mil units?

Conversion helps translate traditional British length units into smaller, precise measurements applied in engineering, electronics, and manufacturing.

How to Convert from Barleycorn to Mil [mil, thou]

Convert measurement units from barleycorn to mil (thou) accurately using this easy online tool designed for length conversions relevant to historical and modern applications.

Barleycorn

Mil [mil, thou]

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Barleycorn to Mil [mil, thou] Conversion Table

Barleycorn	Mil [mil, thou]

Custom Unit Conversion Table Generator – Instant Printable Conversion Tables

Start Value

Enter the starting number (positive decimal or integer ≥ 0). Example: 0.1, 1, 5.

End Value

Enter the ending number (positive decimal or integer > Start Value). Example: 10, 50, 100.

Interval

Enter the step size (positive decimal > 0 and < End Value – Start Value). Example: 1.0, 2.5.

Barleycorn to Mil [mil, thou] Conversion Table
Barleycorn	Mil [mil, thou]

Explore More Length Units Converter

What Is This Tool?

This converter transforms lengths measured in barleycorn, a traditional British unit, into mils (thousands of an inch), a precise unit widely used in U.S. manufacturing and engineering.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the length value in barleycorn
Select barleycorn as the from-unit and mil as the to-unit
Initiate the conversion to receive the equivalent length in mil

Key Features

Convert historic British length units to modern precise measurements
Supports conversion from barleycorn to mil, also called thou
Easy-to-use, browser-based interface
Provides relevant examples illustrating conversion steps

Examples

2 Barleycorn equals approximately 666.6667 Mil
0.5 Barleycorn equals roughly 166.6667 Mil

Common Use Cases

Converting British shoe sizing measurements that use barleycorn increments
Interpreting antique or historic documents with pre-metric English units
Determining precise thicknesses and tolerances in U.S. manufacturing and electronics
Measuring film, wire diameter, and coating thicknesses in engineering applications

Tips & Best Practices

Understand that barleycorn is an approximate historic unit based on a grain's length
Use this conversion for bridging traditional British units with modern manufacturing scales
Be aware of the mil’s precision standard primarily in U.S. contexts
Confirm conversion results with application-specific requirements for accuracy

Limitations

Barleycorn is an obsolete unit with approximate length derived from natural grain size
Mil is highly precise but mainly used within U.S. engineering and manufacturing
Conversion between these units involves historical approximation and modern exactness differences

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a barleycorn?: A barleycorn is a historic length unit equal to one third of an inch, originally based on the length of a barley grain.
What does mil (thou) stand for in length measurement?: A mil or thou is one thousandth of an inch, commonly used in U.S. manufacturing to indicate very small thicknesses and tolerances.
Why convert barleycorn to mil units?: Conversion helps translate traditional British length units into smaller, precise measurements applied in engineering, electronics, and manufacturing.

Key Terminology

Barleycorn: An old British unit of length equal to one third of an inch, historically based on the length of a grain of barley.
Mil (Thou): A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch, widely used in U.S. industries for precise small measurements.

Quick Knowledge Check

What is the length of one barleycorn in inches?

One inch

One third of an inch

One tenth of an inch

What is a mil also known as?

Thou

Gram

Yard

Which industry commonly uses mil units?

U.S. manufacturing and engineering

British shoe sizing

Antique appraisal

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