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How to Predict Your Teenage Daughter's Height

by Jill Kokemuller

There is no truly accurate way to predict the adult height of a child. Height is determined by many factors. The genetic contributions of the parents form the starting point for potential height of a child. But a short parent may have two "short" genes, or a "short" and a "tall" gene, for example, and you don't know which one was passed to the child. Beyond that, health factors like prolonged illness or poor nutrition can affect growth. There is a way to take an educated guess about how tall your daughter will be when she reaches her full height, however.

Measure the height of the mother and the height of the father in inches using a measuring tape. Convert feet to inches by multiplying by 12. For example, a height of 5 feet 4 inches is 64 inches.

Add the two heights together. Subtract 5 inches from the total. For example, the mother's height of 64 inches plus the father's height of 72 inches is 136 inches. Subtracting 5 inches makes 131 inches.

Divide the number by two, and convert back to feet and inches by dividing by 12. For example, 131 inches divided by 2 is 65.5 inches. Converted to feet and inches, this is 5 feet 5.5 inches. Assuming good health, your daughter's height should fall within 4 inches of this predicted height.

Items you will need
  • Measuring tape
  • Calculator


  • Another method of predicting your daughter's adult height is to double her height at age 2.
  • If your daughter is consistently in the same percentile range on growth charts, you can follow that percentage to determine her height at age 18.
  • Most girls grow only an additional 2 inches after their first period.

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