Hectare Vs Acre: Main Differences, How To Tell Them Apart?

When purchasing or discussing land, one of the most significant elements is the size. There are different measurement methods for land worldwide, the common ones being hectares and acres. But, how much can you tell about hectare vs acre?

Both hectares and acres are units of measurement for land. The main difference is that a hectare represents 10,000 square meters, while an acre represents 4,047 square meters. A hectare is larger than an acre (one hectare = 2.47 acres). Hectares are used in European countries, while the U.S. uses acres.

There are so many units of measurement that it is easy to get confused about what they mean, like with hectares and acres. However, this does not have to be the case if you take the time to learn. This post will answer whichever questions you have about hectares and acres.

What Is The Definition Of Hectare?

A hectare is a legal unit of measure for land area in Europe. It is used for agricultural, town development, land proprietorship, and forestry agencies throughout European nations. Also, this unit is used to measure other areas of geographical features, including water bodies. The hectare is a non-SI metric unit of area.

Besides the primary definition above, there are other definitions to know. Here are more definitions for hectares.

• By Size: A hectare (symbol- ha) represents 100 ares or 10,000 square meters, 2.471 acres, or 1/100 square kilometers.
• A hectare is also defined as a field of arable or pasture land. Arable land can be used to grow crops or plow. On the other hand, pasture land is used to feed animals due to its natural or grown pasture. These are important land measurement units.

What Is The Definition Of Acre?

An acre (symbol- ac) is a unit of land used by legal and customary systems in the United States. It is land containing 160 rods or 4360 square feet. An acre can be measured in any shape, like squares, rectangles, or even hexagons.

Other definitions of acres include the following;

• By size: An acre is 4,047 square meters, 2/5 of a hectare. Traditionally, the size of a hectare used to differ depending on the location. For instance, in Scotch, an acre was about 1.26 of the English standard acre size, while in Irish, it was 1.62 of the Standard English measurement.
• The traditional definition for an acre is “the area of one chain by one furlong” or “66 by 660 feet.”
• In Geography, an acre refers to a territory in Western Brazil between the borders of Bolivia and Peru. A town and port in Israel’s Northwestern region in the Eastern Mediterranean is also called Acre.
• An acre is “a wide expanse” or “large quantity.”

Obsolete Definitions Of Acres

These are definitions that no longer apply but are worth discussing. They are;

• An acre was once defined as any large field
• An acre was also formerly defined as a duel fought between distinct Scots and Englishmen within the borders.

Hectare Vs Acre: What Is The Difference?

The best way to differentiate between different words is through their definitions. The definitions allow you to understand each word separately before understanding the differences. Now that you know the various definitions of hectares and acres, we can break down the differences. Here are some note-worthy differences;

• The hectare is commonly used in the European Union and Common Wealth companies that use the metric system, while the acre is popular in the United States imperial and customary system. Countries like Dominica, India, Samoa, and Pakistan also use the acre.
• A hectare is 10,000 square meters, while an acre is 4047 square meters.
• A hectare is equivalent to 2.471 acres. Therefore, in hectare vs acre, a hectare is larger than an acre, and there are 0.405 hectares in an acre.
• A hectare is a non-SI unit accepted by international system units, while an acre is a non-recognized SI unit of area measurement.
• One square kilometre (or kilometer in US English) is equal to 100 hectares.

Which is bigger, Acre or Hectare? A hectare is bigger than an acre.

One of the best things about learning word definitions and differences is that you can start using them in sentences properly and convert hectare to acre as needed. Below is a guide on how to use hectares and acres in sentences properly.

How To Properly Use Hectare In A Sentence

The word hectare is a noun and should be used as such in sentences. Use this word to describe a piece of land with specific measurements (as explained earlier).

Since “hectare” is a noun, it does not have present or past tenses. Also, it does not have an adjective, adverb, or verb form. However, other noun forms of the word “hectare” include;

• Hectarage: An extent of the area of land measured in hectares (plural- hectarages).
• Hectacre: It means an area comprising a hundred acres (hecta – 100).

How To Use Acre In A Sentence

The word “acre” is a noun. Therefore, you can use it in a sentence as the subject of a verb. Also, you can use this word in singular or plural.

Use the term “acre” in the following contexts;

• To refer to a piece of land or unit of area
• To refer to a land unit measurement

Besides the plural form, other word forms of this word are;

• Another noun for acre is “acreage,” which means an area of land measured in acres (plural- acreages).
• The adjective for acre is “acred,” which means owning or possessing several acres of land.
• Another archaic adjective for acre is “acreable,” which means “per acre.”

Note: there are currently no past or present tenses, adverbs, or verb word forms for “acre.”

On a smaller scale: Micron Vs. Micrometer

Examples Of Hectare And Acre In Sentences

There are limitless ways you can create creative sentences using the words acre and hectare. Below are some examples of sentences with the words hectare and acre:

Example Sentences of Hectare

1. The 76-hectare development site is a former airfield that ceased operations in the late 1950s.
2. The state of California announced the commencement of a development project on 100 hectares of land that will change the economy significantly.
3. The fast food outlet in San Antonio plans to spend millions of dollars developing 2.1-hectare land.
4. James William is a brilliant entrepreneur who has made millions from development projects on tens of hectares of land across the United States.
5. In August, the farmers will harvest peas and corn from the 10-hectare field in the South.
6. The damage from the earthquake spread to more than 50 hectares of land.

Example Sentences of Acre

1. An acre of the land was used to grow peas for the food canning industry.
2. Traditionally, an acre would yield about 300 tons of corn which helped a lot with food insecurity issues.
3. The treaty between Bolivia and Peru’s acre was signed in 1923.
4. The island lost acres of land to the intruders during the war.
5. The Michaelson family owns a 12-acre plot where they built settlements for their employees.
6. The experts advised the farmers in Tulsa to spray several pounds of fertilizer per acre of land to make it more arable.

Questions People Ask About Acres And Hectares

How big is an acre? An acre is about 40% of a hectare, 43560 square feet, 4.47 square feet, or 4840 square yards.

How do you convert hectares to acres? A hectare is equal to 2.471052 acres. Therefore, you can convert hectares to acres by multiplying the hectares by 2.471052.

Conclusion

Hectares and acres are measuring units for land. Their primary difference is that a hectare is larger than an acre. Additionally, hectares measure larger geographical areas, like water bodies, while acres are mostly used for land. Even if you are not interested in land measurements, the information on hectare vs. acre is beneficial.