How this works
1 stone = 14 pounds, exactly. The stone is a unit unique to British everyday body-weight conventions: someone weighing "11 stone 4" weighs 11×14 + 4 = 158 lb (≈ 71.7 kg). Useful when reading UK health forms, sports broadcasts, or news articles that quote weights in stones, and you need pounds (or by extension, kilograms).
The formula
"11 stone 4" notation means 11 stones plus 4 pounds — not 11.4 stones. Convert by multiplying the stones by 14 and adding the pounds: (11 × 14) + 4 = 158 lb. To get kilograms, multiply that result by 0.45359237 → ≈ 71.7 kg. The all-pairs Weight Converter handles stones-to-kilograms in one go.
Example calculation
- 1 st = 14 lb
- 5 st = 70 lb (a child of about 9-10 years)
- 11 st = 154 lb (≈ 70 kg, average adult)
- 20 st = 280 lb (≈ 127 kg)
Frequently asked questions
Why is the stone still used in the UK?
Mostly tradition. The UK uses metric officially for trade, but body-weight conversation almost always uses stones-and-pounds — partly because the range (typically 7-20 stones) is more compact verbally than 45-127 kg. NHS forms and most fitness apps now also accept kg, but if you ask a Brit how heavy they are, expect "I'm 11 and a half stone" rather than "73 kilograms".
Is the stone used anywhere else?
Very rarely. Ireland uses it in informal speech for the same reasons as the UK. Australia and New Zealand abandoned it in the 1970s during their metric switches, though older speakers may still use it. The US never adopted the stone — Americans quote body weight purely in pounds. Outside everyday body weight, the stone has no modern industrial or scientific use.