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Mil/Thou (mil) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:mil
Plural:mils
Category:Length

What is a Mil/Thou?

Definition

A mil (also known as a thou) is a unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch (0.001 inches or 25.4 micrometers).

History

The unit originates from precision engineering and manufacturing where small tolerances are critical.

Common Uses

  • Measuring thickness of materials (e.g., paper, plastic film, coatings)
  • Specifying manufacturing tolerances
  • Electronics (e.g., PCB trace widths)

Unit FAQs

Is a mil the same as a millimeter?

No, a mil (0.001 inches) is much smaller than a millimeter (0.001 meters). 1 millimeter is approximately 39.37 mils.

Is 'mil' short for millimeter?

No, 'mil' is short for the Latin 'mille', meaning thousandth (of an inch). It is not an abbreviation for millimeter (mm).

What does 'thou' mean in this context?

'Thou' is another common name for a mil, also meaning one thousandth (of an inch). It is frequently used in engineering and machining.

Mil/Thou Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 mil = 0.000025 m
Example: 5 mils = 0.000127 meters

To Kilometer:

1 mil = 2.5400e-8 km
Example: 5 mils = 1.2700e-7 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 mil = 2.5400e-7 hm
Example: 5 mils = 0.000001 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 mil = 0.000254 dm
Example: 5 mils = 0.00127 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 mil = 0.00254 cm
Example: 5 mils = 0.0127 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 mil = 0.0254 mm
Example: 5 mils = 0.127 millimeters

To Inch:

1 mil = 0.001 in
Example: 5 mils = 0.005 inches

To Foot:

1 mil = 0.000083 ft
Example: 5 mils = 0.000417 feet

To Yard:

1 mil = 0.000028 yd
Example: 5 mils = 0.000139 yards

To Mile:

1 mil = 1.5783e-8 mi
Example: 5 mils = 7.8914e-8 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 mil = 1.3715e-8 NM
Example: 5 mils = 6.8575e-8 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 mil = 25.4 μm
Example: 5 mils = 127 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 mil = 25400 nm
Example: 5 mils = 127000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 mil = 2.6847e-21 ly
Example: 5 mils = 1.3424e-20 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 mil = 1.6979e-16 AU
Example: 5 mils = 8.4893e-16 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 mil = 8.2315e-22 pc
Example: 5 mils = 4.1158e-21 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 mil = 254000 Å
Example: 5 mils = 1270000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 mil = 0.072 pt
Example: 5 mils = 0.36 points

To Fathom:

1 mil = 0.000014 fath
Example: 5 mils = 0.000069 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 mil = 1.2626e-7 fur
Example: 5 mils = 6.3131e-7 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 mil = 0.000126 li
Example: 5 mils = 0.000631 links

To Pace:

1 mil = 0.000033 pace
Example: 5 mils = 0.000167 paces

To Span:

1 mil = 0.000111 span
Example: 5 mils = 0.000556 spans

To Digit:

1 mil = 0.001333 digit
Example: 5 mils = 0.006667 digits

To Cable Length:

1 mil = 1.3715e-7 cb
Example: 5 mils = 6.8575e-7 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 mil = 0.000022 ell
Example: 5 mils = 0.000111 ells

To Finger:

1 mil = 0.000222 finger
Example: 5 mils = 0.001111 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 mil = 1.7162e-8 m.p.
Example: 5 mils = 8.5811e-8 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 mil = 1.3730e-7 stadion
Example: 5 mils = 6.8649e-7 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 mil = 0.000076 chi
Example: 5 mils = 0.000381 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 mil = 0.000084 shaku
Example: 5 mils = 0.000419 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 mil = 5.0800e-8 li
Example: 5 mils = 2.5400e-7 li

To Toise:

1 mil = 0.000013 toise
Example: 5 mils = 0.000065 toise

To Bolt:

1 mil = 8.3333e-7 bolt
Example: 5 mils = 0.000004 bolts

To Rope:

1 mil = 0.000004 rope
Example: 5 mils = 0.000021 ropes

To Smoot:

1 mil = 0.000015 smoot
Example: 5 mils = 0.000075 smoots

To Sajene:

1 mil = 0.000012 sajene
Example: 5 mils = 0.00006 sajenes

To Ken:

1 mil = 0.000014 ken
Example: 5 mils = 0.00007 ken

To Wa:

1 mil = 0.000013 wa
Example: 5 mils = 0.000063 wa

To Vara:

1 mil = 0.00003 vara
Example: 5 mils = 0.000152 varas

To Aln:

1 mil = 0.000043 aln
Example: 5 mils = 0.000214 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 mil = 0.000049 cubit
Example: 5 mils = 0.000243 cubits

To Versta:

1 mil = 2.3810e-8 versta
Example: 5 mils = 1.1905e-7 versts

To Arpent:

1 mil = 4.3440e-7 arpent
Example: 5 mils = 0.000002 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 mil = 6.4680e-9 ri
Example: 5 mils = 3.2340e-8 ri

To Klafter:

1 mil = 0.000013 klafter
Example: 5 mils = 0.000067 klafter

To Yojana:

1 mil = 1.8815e-9 yojana
Example: 5 mils = 9.4074e-9 yojanas

To Skein:

1 mil = 2.3148e-7 skein
Example: 5 mils = 0.000001 skeins

Convert Mil/Thou

Need to convert Mil/Thou to other length units? Use our conversion tool.

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Mil/Thou Quick Info

mil
Symbol:mil
Category:Length
System:Various
Convert Mil/Thou

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