Meaning & use
American letter size
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableAmerican
The standard sheet of paper in North America, measuring 8.5 by 11 inches, a little shorter and wider than A4.
Grammar: Used without an article when naming the format: print it in American letter size.
Patterns
- in American letter size
- American letter size paper
Please set the printer to American letter size, because these forms were designed for it.
The booklet is formatted in American letter size, so it looks slightly off when printed on A4.
Most office supply stores in the US sell reams of American letter size paper.
Common combinations
- print in American letter size
- I had to print the resume in American letter size for the US application.
- American letter size paper
- We keep a box of American letter size paper for the clients in New York.
- change to American letter size
- Change the page setup to American letter size before you save the file.
- American letter size envelope
- This American letter size envelope fits a document folded in three.
Synonyms and how they differ
- US Letter
- US Letter is the usual shorter name in software menus, whereas American letter size sounds more explanatory in everyday talk.
- letter size
- Letter size drops the nationality and is fine in the US, but outside North America people add American to avoid confusion with A4.
Word family
- letter noun
- the short name of this paper format
- legal size noun
- a longer North American sheet, 8.5 by 14 inches
- paper size noun
- the dimensions of a sheet of paper
Commonly confused: American letter size or A4?
American letter size vs A4
A4 is the international standard sheet, 210 by 297 millimeters; it is narrower and taller than American letter size.
Practice
A British colleague sends you a document and asks why it looks cut off at the bottom when printed. Which sheet format should you check against A4?
Choose one answer.
American letter size is the North American page that is shorter than A4. Legal size tabloid is not a single real format, and index cards and posters are not ordinary document pages.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “American letter size”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.