Sources & Methodology
Every answer in the game is a real measurement with a source behind it. This page explains how we pick those numbers, how each dimension is measured, and who made the silhouettes you resize.
How we choose a size
- Typical, not extreme. Animals use the size of a typical adult, never the largest individual ever recorded. Objects use their standard or most common size.
- Ranges where nature varies. When sources give a range, the reveal shows it next to the typical value.
- Primary sources first. We prefer space agencies, wildlife agencies, zoos, natural history museums, standards bodies and official sports rules, and cross-check numbers used in the daily puzzle.
How each dimension is measured
- Whales, sharks, crocodiles and other long animals: total length from snout to tail tip.
- Tall animals and people: standing height to the top of the head. Elephants: height at the shoulder.
- Dinosaurs: total length of a typical adult based on fossil reconstructions.
- Planets, moons and stars: equatorial diameter. Saturn's rings are drawn but not included in its size.
- Balls: diameter. Vehicles and containers: overall length. Doors and phones: height. Goals: the opening between the posts.
- Buildings, towers and monuments: height from the ground to the highest point, including spires and antennas. Statues on a pedestal count the statue only. Mountains: elevation above sea level.
Silhouette credits
Animal and dinosaur silhouettes come from PhyloPic, an open database of organism silhouettes. We only use images released into the public domain or under Creative Commons licenses that allow commercial use; images under CC BY-SA are recolored and cropped, and those versions are shared under the same license. Everyday objects, vehicles and landmarks are drawn by us, and planets are generated from their measured diameters.
| Silhouette | Artist | License |
|---|---|---|
| Adult man (Homo sapiens) | T. Michael Keesey | CC0 1.0 |
| Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) | T. Michael Keesey | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| African elephant (Loxodonta africana) | Steven Traver | CC0 1.0 |
| Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) | Bernard Dupont (photograph) and T. Michael Keesey (tracing) | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Ostrich (Struthio camelus) | Marie Attard | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) | Guillaume Dera | CC0 1.0 |
| Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) | Steven Traver | CC0 1.0 |
| Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) | Smokeybjb | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) | Margot Michaud | CC0 1.0 |
| Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) | Skye M | CC0 1.0 |
| Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrannosaurus rex) | Manuel Brea Lueiro | CC0 1.0 |
| American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) | Ferran Sayol | CC0 1.0 |
| American bison (Bison bison) | Tracy A. Heath | CC0 1.0 |
| Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) | Xavier Giroux-Bougard | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) | Michael Day | CC0 1.0 |
| Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) | Ferran Sayol | CC0 1.0 |
| Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) | Kamil S. Jaron | CC0 1.0 |
| American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) | T. Michael Keesey | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | Margot Michaud | CC0 1.0 |
| Great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) | An Ignorant Atheist | CC0 1.0 |
| House sparrow (Passer domesticus) | Andrew Butko (modified) | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) | T. Michael Keesey | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| Lion (Panthera leo) | Margot Michaud | CC0 1.0 |
| Llama (Lama glama) | Mozillian | CC0 1.0 |
| Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| Orca (Orcinus orca) | Olesja Bogomaz | CC0 1.0 |
| Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) | T. Michael Keesey | Public Domain Mark 1.0 |
| Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) | Jimmy Bernot | CC0 1.0 |
| Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) | Margot Michaud | CC0 1.0 |
| Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) | Christoph Schomburg | CC0 1.0 |
| White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) | Christophe Mallet | CC0 1.0 |
| Ankylosaurus (Ankylosaurus magniventris) | Itai Fein | CC0 1.0 |
| Brachiosaurus (Brachiosaurus altithorax) | Michael P. Taylor | CC0 1.0 |
| Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegii) | Jagged Fang Designs | CC0 1.0 |
| Stegosaurus (Stegosaurus stenops) | Olivia Binfield | CC0 1.0 |
| Triceratops (Triceratops horridus) | Itai Fein | CC0 1.0 |
| Velociraptor (Velociraptor mongoliensis) | Itai Fein | CC0 1.0 |
| Adult woman (Homo sapiens) | T. Michael Keesey | CC0 1.0 |
| Brown bear (Ursus arctos) | Margot Michaud | CC0 1.0 |
| Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) | An Ignorant Atheist | CC0 1.0 |
| Horse (Equus caballus) | Andy Wilson | CC0 1.0 |
| King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) | Alexandre Vong | CC0 1.0 |
| Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) | Guillaume Dera | CC0 1.0 |
| Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) | Kiara Kattler | CC0 1.0 |
Measurements and their sources
Animals
- Blue whale – 25 m (82 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – Blue Whale
- African elephant – 3.2 m (10.5 ft) tall. Smithsonian's National Zoo – African Elephant
- Giraffe – 5 m (16.4 ft) tall. Smithsonian's National Zoo – Giraffe
- Ostrich – 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) tall. San Diego Zoo – Ostrich
- Emu – 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall. San Diego Zoo – Emu
- Emperor penguin – 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) tall. Australian Antarctic Program – Emperor penguin
- Great white shark – 4.5 m (14.8 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – White Shark
- Saltwater crocodile – 4.5 m (14.8 ft) long. Australian Museum – Estuarine Crocodile
- Polar bear – 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) long. WWF – Polar Bear
- Capybara – 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long. Smithsonian's National Zoo – Capybara
- American alligator – 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long. Smithsonian's National Zoo – American alligator
- American bison – 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall. U.S. Department of the Interior – 15 facts about the American bison
- Andean condor – 3 m (9 ft 10 in) wide. San Diego Zoo – Andean condor
- Asian elephant – 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) tall. National Geographic – Asian elephant
- Bald eagle – 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) wide. Cornell Lab – Bald eagle
- Beluga whale – 4 m (13.1 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – Beluga whale
- Bottlenose dolphin – 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long. NOAA Fisheries – Common bottlenose dolphin
- Southern cassowary – 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) tall. Smithsonian's National Zoo – Southern cassowary
- Clownfish – 8 cm (3.15 in) long. Aquarium of the Pacific – Clown anemonefish
- American flamingo – 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall. Smithsonian's National Zoo – American flamingo
- Giant panda – 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) long. Smithsonian's National Zoo – Giant panda
- Great hammerhead shark – 4 m (13.1 ft) long. Australian Museum – Great hammerhead
- Hippopotamus – 4 m (13.1 ft) long. National Geographic – Hippopotamus
- House sparrow – 15.5 cm (6.1 in) long. Cornell Lab – House sparrow
- Ruby-throated hummingbird – 8 cm (3.15 in) long. Cornell Lab – Ruby-throated hummingbird
- Humpback whale – 14 m (45.9 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – Humpback whale
- Lion – 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall. Smithsonian's National Zoo – Lion
- Llama – 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall. Denver Zoo – Llama
- Monarch butterfly – 9 cm (3.54 in) wide. National Wildlife Federation – Monarch butterfly
- Orca – 7 m (23 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – Killer whale
- Sperm whale – 14 m (45.9 ft) long. NOAA Fisheries – Sperm whale
- Tiger shark – 3.7 m (12.1 ft) long. National Geographic – Tiger shark
- Walrus – 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long. National Geographic – Walrus
- Whale shark – 8 m (26.2 ft) long. Georgia Aquarium – Whale shark
- White rhinoceros – 3.8 m (12.5 ft) long. National Geographic – White rhinoceros
- Brown bear – 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long. National Geographic – Brown bear
- Dromedary camel – 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tall. National Geographic – Arabian camel
- Horse – 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) tall. Wikipedia – Horse
- King penguin – 90 cm (2 ft 11 in) tall. Australian Antarctic Program – King penguin
- Giant manta ray – 5 m (16.4 ft) wide. NOAA Fisheries – Giant manta ray
- Sea otter – 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long. National Geographic – Sea otter
Dinosaurs
- Tyrannosaurus rex – 12 m (39.4 ft) long. Field Museum – SUE the T. rex
- Ankylosaurus – 8 m (26.2 ft) long. Natural History Museum – Ankylosaurus
- Brachiosaurus – 22 m (72.2 ft) long. Natural History Museum – Brachiosaurus
- Diplodocus – 26 m (85.3 ft) long. Natural History Museum – Diplodocus
- Stegosaurus – 9 m (29.5 ft) long. Natural History Museum – Stegosaurus
- Triceratops – 9 m (29.5 ft) long. Natural History Museum – Triceratops
- Velociraptor – 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) long. Natural History Museum – Velociraptor
Space
- Sun – 1,391,400 km (864,576 mi) across. NASA – Sun Fact Sheet
- Mercury – 4,879 km (3,032 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Venus – 12,104 km (7,521 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Earth – 12,756 km (7,926 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Moon – 3,475 km (2,159 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Mars – 6,792 km (4,220 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Jupiter – 142,984 km (88,846 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Uranus – 51,118 km (31,763 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Neptune – 49,528 km (30,775 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Pluto – 2,376 km (1,476 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Ceres – 939 km (584 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
- Io – 3,643 km (2,264 mi) across. NASA – Jovian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Europa – 3,122 km (1,940 mi) across. NASA – Jovian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Ganymede – 5,262 km (3,270 mi) across. NASA – Jovian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Callisto – 4,821 km (2,996 mi) across. NASA – Jovian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Titan – 5,150 km (3,200 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Rhea – 1,527 km (949 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Enceladus – 504 km (313 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Mimas – 396 km (246 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Titania – 1,578 km (981 mi) across. NASA – Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Oberon – 1,523 km (946 mi) across. NASA – Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Triton – 2,707 km (1,682 mi) across. NASA – Neptunian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Charon – 1,214 km (754 mi) across. NASA – Charon
- Eris – 2,400 km (1,491 mi) across. NASA – Eris
- Makemake – 1,430 km (889 mi) across. NASA – Makemake
- Vesta – 525 km (326 mi) across. NASA – Vesta
- Dione – 1,123 km (698 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Tethys – 1,062 km (660 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Iapetus – 1,469 km (913 mi) across. NASA – Saturnian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Ariel – 1,158 km (720 mi) across. NASA – Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Umbriel – 1,169 km (726 mi) across. NASA – Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Miranda – 472 km (293 mi) across. NASA – Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet
- Saturn – 120,536 km (74,898 mi) across. NASA – Planetary Fact Sheet
Everyday objects
- School bus – 12 m (39.4 ft) long. Wikipedia – School bus
- Family car – 4.8 m (15.7 ft) long. Wikipedia – Mid-size car
- Shipping container – 6.06 m (19.9 ft) long. Wikipedia – Intermodal container
- Soccer goal – 7.32 m (24 ft) wide. IFAB – Laws of the Game, Law 1
- Door – 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) tall. Wikipedia – Door
- Basketball – 23.9 cm (9.41 in) across. FIBA – Official Basketball Rules: Equipment
- Tennis ball – 6.7 cm (2.64 in) across. ITF – Rules of Tennis
- Smartphone – 14.7 cm (5.79 in) tall. Apple – iPhone tech specs
- Credit card – 8.56 cm (3.37 in) wide. Wikipedia – ISO/IEC 7810
- Soccer ball – 22 cm (8.66 in) across. IFAB – Laws of the Game, Law 2: The Ball
- Golf ball – 4.27 cm (1.68 in) across. Wikipedia – Golf ball
- Bowling ball – 21.6 cm (8.5 in) across. Wikipedia – Bowling ball
- Baseball – 7.4 cm (2.91 in) across. Wikipedia – Baseball (ball)
- US quarter – 2.43 cm (0.96 in) across. United States Mint – Coin specifications
- Sheet of A4 paper – 29.7 cm (11.7 in) tall. Wikipedia – ISO 216
- Pencil – 19 cm (7.48 in) long. Wikipedia – Pencil
- Pickup truck – 5.9 m (19.4 ft) long. Wikipedia – Ford F-Series (fourteenth generation)
- Semi-trailer truck – 22 m (72.2 ft) long. Wikipedia – Semi-trailer truck
- Double-decker bus – 4.4 m (14.4 ft) tall. Wikipedia – New Routemaster
- Basketball hoop – 3.05 m (10 ft) tall. NBA – Official rules: court dimensions and equipment
- Boeing 747 – 70.6 m (232 ft) long. Wikipedia – Boeing 747-400
- Titanic – 269 m (883 ft) long. Wikipedia – Titanic
- Ever Given container ship – 400 m (1,312 ft) long. Wikipedia – Ever Given
- Hindenburg airship – 245 m (804 ft) long. Wikipedia – LZ 129 Hindenburg
- Saturn V rocket – 111 m (364 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Saturn V
- Space Shuttle – 37.2 m (122 ft) long. Wikipedia – Space Shuttle orbiter
- F-16 fighter jet – 15.1 m (49.4 ft) long. Wikipedia – General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
- Cessna 172 – 8.28 m (27.2 ft) long. Wikipedia – Cessna 172
- Classic Mini – 3.05 m (10 ft) long. Wikipedia – Mini
- Smart Fortwo – 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) long. Wikipedia – Smart Fortwo
- Ohio-class submarine – 170 m (558 ft) long. Wikipedia – Ohio-class submarine
- 40-foot shipping container – 12.2 m (40 ft) long. Wikipedia – Intermodal container
- International Space Station – 109 m (358 ft) wide. NASA – Space station facts and figures
- Perseverance rover – 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long. NASA – Perseverance rover components
- Concorde – 61.7 m (202 ft) long. Wikipedia – Concorde
- Airbus A380 – 72.7 m (239 ft) long. Wikipedia – Airbus A380
- Tennis racket – 69 cm (2 ft 3 in) long. Wikipedia – Racket
- Ping-pong ball – 4 cm (1.57 in) across. Wikipedia – Table tennis
- Volleyball – 21 cm (8.27 in) across. Wikipedia – Volleyball (ball)
- Hockey puck – 7.62 cm (3 in) across. Wikipedia – Hockey puck
- US dollar bill – 15.6 cm (6.14 in) wide. Wikipedia – United States one-dollar bill
- US penny – 1.91 cm (0.75 in) across. Wikipedia – Penny (United States coin)
- AA battery – 5.05 cm (1.99 in) long. Wikipedia – AA battery
- Stop sign – 76 cm (2 ft 6 in) wide. Wikipedia – Stop sign
- Traffic cone – 71.1 cm (2 ft 4 in) tall. Wikipedia – Traffic cone
- Concert grand piano – 2.74 m (9 ft) long. Wikipedia – Steinway & Sons
- Soda can – 12.3 cm (4.84 in) tall. Wikipedia – Drink can
- 13-inch laptop – 30.4 cm (12 in) wide. Apple – MacBook Air 13-inch tech specs
People
- Adult man – 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) tall. CDC – Body Measurements
- Adult woman – 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) tall. CDC – Body Measurements
Landmarks
- Eiffel Tower – 330 m (1,083 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Eiffel Tower
- Great Pyramid of Giza – 139 m (454 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Great Pyramid of Giza
- Washington Monument – 169 m (554 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Washington Monument
- Burj Khalifa – 828 m (2,717 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Burj Khalifa
- Empire State Building – 443 m (1,453 ft) tall. Empire State Building – Facts & figures
- Leaning Tower of Pisa – 55.9 m (183 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Big Ben – 96 m (315 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Big Ben
- Christ the Redeemer – 30 m (98.4 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Christ the Redeemer
- CN Tower – 553 m (1,815 ft) tall. Wikipedia – CN Tower
- Space Needle – 184 m (605 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Space Needle
- Mount Everest – 8.85 km (5.5 mi) tall. Wikipedia – Mount Everest
- Colosseum – 48 m (157 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Colosseum
- Arc de Triomphe – 49.5 m (163 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Arc de Triomphe
- Taipei 101 – 508 m (1,667 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Taipei 101
- Shanghai Tower – 632 m (2,073 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Shanghai Tower
- One World Trade Center – 541 m (1,776 ft) tall. Wikipedia – One World Trade Center
- Petronas Towers – 452 m (1,483 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Petronas Towers
- Tokyo Skytree – 634 m (2,080 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Tokyo Skytree
- Golden Gate Bridge tower – 227 m (746 ft) tall. Wikipedia – Golden Gate Bridge
Spotted a mistake?
Sizes in nature vary, and sources sometimes disagree. If a number looks wrong, check the linked source first, then tell us – we review every correction.