# How do you pronounce 'Kilometer'?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-kilometer/534105>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 28, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-kilometer/534105 "2010-03-28T14:34:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-kilometer/534105/61 "2010-06-21T01:15:30Z")

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As in two words - “kilo” and “metre”.

Not Kil-lom-iter.

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-kilometer/534105/62 "2010-06-21T04:13:18Z")

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Both. Because my parents said it one way, and more official channels said it the other, I can’t remember which.

As it’s a measure of distance and not a measurement device, the formally correct pronunciation should be “KILL-o-mee-ter”. Like centimetre, and millimetre, and not like thermometer or odometer.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-kilometer/534105/63 "2010-06-21T04:15:13Z")

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“kill-AH-mi-ter” for me. I always thought that was a more European pronunciation, or at least British.

The Thais say “gi-lo-MET.”

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