身しん長ちょう

し

ん

ちょ

う

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

Refers specifically to a person's height. Not used for the height of objects or buildings; use 高さ for those.

高たかさ
高さ is used for the height of objects, buildings, mountains, etc., while 身長 is only for a person's height.
背せい
背 is a more general term for stature or back, and can appear in compounds like 背が高い, but 身長 is the standard word for measured height.

Compound of 身 (body) and 長 (length). The reading is on'yomi, suggesting a Sino-Japanese origin.