Height vs Width
There is no formal definition for terms like height, length, width, and depth. It is alright to talk about the height of a person when he is standing. But if a person is sleeping, we still talk about his height where we should refer to his length. Surprisingly, there is no rule about the usage of these terms also. However, there are some conventions that need to be followed when we make use of these terms. It is easy to see that a piece of threads, whether it is curled or straight has length, and not height. But when it comes to measuring two dimensions, we make use of length and width, or height and width. When the word length is used, all we wish to convey is how long the object is.
When we make use of height and width in a measurement, long is not meant to be emphasized as is the case when we talk in terms of length and width. This implies that we can have a situation where height may even be less than width. If you are standing under a tree, you obviously talk about its height and width, but what do you do when it has been felled? Doesn’t the same height now become its length? But, when we are swimming in a swimming pool, it is always depth and not height though, we are talking about the same physical feature. A door, before it is installed in place in a wall has dimensions, which are referred to as length and breadth, but as soon as the door has been installed, the same dimensions become height and width of the door.
What’s the difference between Height and Width?
A rectangular object can be described using length and width and also height and width. The important thing to remember is that when length is used, we are talking about the longer side (for example a room or a match box), but when we are using height and width, height can be smaller or larger depending upon which side the object is lying upon.