Convert mm to cm

Convert millimeters (mm) to centimeters (cm) fast and without guesswork. Type your number, and you’ll see the answer right away. Need to go the other way? Switch the units to convert cm to mm in the same place. For more quick conversions, you can also explore our full set of unit converters.

What are millimeters and centimeters?

Both mm and cm are metric units used for measuring length.

• Millimeter (mm): a very small unit used for fine detail
• 1 mm = 0.001 m
• Centimeter (cm): a common everyday unit
• 1 cm = 0.01 m

Simply put, a centimetre is bigger than a millimetre.

What is a Millimeter (mm)?

A millimetre is one-thousandth of a meter. It’s used when you need a small, exact measurement.

Why is it called “millimeter”

The prefix milli- means one-thousandth. The scientific definition of a metre has been refined over time, but 1 mm has always stayed equal to 1/1000 of a meter.

Common uses of millimeters

Millimeters are ideal for precise sizing, like paper thickness, jewellery, small parts, tight gaps, and engineering work.

What is a Centimeter (cm)?

A centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter. It’s a handy size for daily measuring.

Why is it called “centimeter”

The prefix centi- means one-hundredth. That’s why centimetres are always linked to metres in a simple, fixed way.

Common uses of Centimeter

Centimeters are often used for height, clothing measurements, household items, and school rulers.

Millimetres to centimetres in simple words

A centimetre is bigger, so you need 10 millimetres to make 1 centimetre.

• mm → cm: divide by 10
• cm → mm: multiply by 10

Convert mm to cm formula.

To convert millimetres (mm) into centimetres (cm):

cm = mm ÷ 10

Quick examples

• 1 mm = 0.1 cm
• 10 mm = 1 cm
• 100 mm = 10 cm
• 500 mm = 50 cm
• 1,000 mm = 100 cm
• 5,000 mm = 500 cm

How to convert millimetres to centimetres

Step you’ll always remember

To convert mm to cm, divide by 10 (move the decimal one place left).

Example

15 mm to cm

15 ÷ 10 = 1.5 cm

How many centimeters are in a millimeters

There is 0.1 centimeter (cm) in 1 millimeter (mm).

In other words, 1 mm = 0.1 cm.

Related length converters you may also like

If you’re working with other units, these tools can help (each one is a quick, single-step conversion):

Convert centimeters to millimeters with this cm to mm converter.

Need imperial sizes? Try the mm to inches converter or switch back using inches to mm.

For longer measurements, use yards to mm or convert back with mm to yards.

Converting feet? Use feet to mm or go the other way with mm to feet.

For metric length work, From meters to mm or reverse it using mm to meters.

Doing large distance conversions? Use km to mm or convert smaller units into distance with mm to miles.

If you’re comparing cm with other units, you can convert cm to meters, cm to feet, or cm to miles.

Working from miles instead? Use miles to cm.

For very small metric comparisons, you can also convert nm to cm.

Measuring in metres and want centimetres? Converting meters to cm.

For common height and object sizing, use cm to inches and convert back with inches to cm.