# A Pronunciation Poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846 "2004-02-06T15:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/1 "2004-02-06T15:25:26Z")
I’m looking to test out a hypothesis I’ve formed on word usage. Would you be so kind as to post your nationality and “primary subsidiary political unit” (state, province, shire, etc.), and a phonetic respelling of how you say the word “Kilometer” (i.e., 0.624 miles)? Others who may have similar questions are welcome to hijack this thread to follow up on regional and transnational English usage, too. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/2 "2004-02-06T15:31:35Z")
Ooh ooh! I’m first! Or maybe I’ve got nothing else to do at work than search the boards for stuff to respond to … American, New Jersey, kill-AH-meh-ter. Do I win? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/3 "2004-02-06T15:45:33Z")
U.S., raised in New Jersey, lived in Massachusetts 25 years. kill-AH-mih-ter ---
**Author:** ![DeaganTheWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DeaganTheWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeaganTheWolf)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/4 "2004-02-06T15:49:11Z")
United States, Central Florida : Ki-LAH-mih-ter ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/5 "2004-02-06T15:55:48Z")
Raised in Michigan, now live in Indiana. “KIL-oh-mee-ter”. Don’t know how I stack up to the rest of the people around me - I’ll ask around. OK, informal survey of eight people has us evenly divided: Four say “KIL-oh-mee-ter” and four say “kuh-LAHM-ih-ter”. One of those four grew up in Southern Ontario, Canada, though. ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/6 "2004-02-06T15:56:32Z")
US, live in Chicago (past 6 years), born and raised in New Jersey I say ki-LAH-muh-ter But if I abbreviate it, it’s KEY-low (My old linguistics teachers are crying over my transcriptions. I was going to use IPA but I don’t know if you know what that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/7 "2004-02-06T16:02:07Z")
United States, East Tennessee Kil-AHM-et-er ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/8 "2004-02-06T16:22:21Z")
Grew up in Ohio,last 40 some years in California: kil-AH-meter ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/9 "2004-02-06T16:24:36Z")
Amsterdam, the Netherlands kee - loh - may - ter ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/10 "2004-02-06T16:24:39Z")
American, Illinois, ki-LAH-muh-ter ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/11 "2004-02-06T16:26:03Z")
Republic of Texas Ki-LAM-i-ter ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/12 "2004-02-06T16:27:29Z")
Atlanta, Georgia USA “ki-LOM-eh-ter” ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/13 "2004-02-06T16:30:55Z")
English, West Yorkshire killaMEEter ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/14 "2004-02-06T16:37:17Z")
> [@jeevwoman](#): > > I say ki-LAH-muh-ter Same here - spent my formative years in the greater metropolitan Baltimore area. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/15 "2004-02-06T16:44:42Z")
Born in Chicago. Raised in LA until 13. Then Washington DC. I say ‘klicks’. No fooling. Picked it up from some pilots who worked for my dad when I was small. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/16 "2004-02-06T16:54:31Z")
Nationality: German (currently living in the Netherlands) Pronunciation: key - loh - MAY - ter Grew up near Washington, D.C., and in English I would say: ki - LAH - me - ter ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/17 "2004-02-06T16:54:47Z")
Where do you guys get the “A” sound in kil **O** meter? [kee-LAH-meeter] I’m curious. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/18 "2004-02-06T17:09:00Z")
Northern California Kuh LAW muh ter ---
**Author:** ![BraveNewSquirle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BraveNewSquirle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraveNewSquirle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/19 "2004-02-06T17:16:41Z")
US, Connecticut Kill-ohm-eh-ter (usually I just use mile though) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846/20 "2004-02-06T17:47:51Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > American, New Jersey, kill-AH-meh-ter. Same location, same pronunciation. Odd thing is, I would pronounce Kiloliter as KIL-oh-leet-er. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-pronunciation-poll/227846.md?page=2)