How tall are you in bananas?
The banana for scale has been an internet convention since 2005. A medium Cavendish banana is about 19 cm along the curve.
9.21 × a banana
1.75 m ÷ 0.19 m = 9.211 bananas.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| credit card | 0.0856 m | 20.4× | |
| smartphone | 0.147 m | 11.9× | |
| carrot | 0.15 m | 11.7× | |
| banana | 0.19 m | 9.21× | A medium Cavendish, measured along the curve |
| cucumber | 0.2 m | 8.75× |
Worth knowing
- A banana is not a standard: the USDA "medium" is 7 to 8 inches, so any answer here carries about 5% of slop.
- Bananas are also mildly radioactive — about 0.1 µSv of potassium-40 each — which is where the "banana equivalent dose" comes from.
Frequently asked
How many bananas tall is the average person?
About nine. A 1.75 m man is 9.2 bananas; a 1.62 m woman is 8.5.
Is the banana a real unit?
No. It is a joke that stuck because it works — everyone has held one, which is the only property a comparison unit really needs.