How do you pronounce 'Kilometer'?

[Sunspace]

@jasonh300

I heard a few Canadians pronounce it KILL-oh-mee-ter when I was in Canada, so I assumed that was how it was supposed to be pronounced, although I’ve never pronounced it like that on purpose.

My logic is that a speedometer (speed-AHM-a-ter) and odometer (o-DAHM-a-ter) and altimeter (al-TIM-a-ter) don’t have the “meter” part pronounced because they’re measuring devices that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the “meter” unit of measure. The millimeter, centimeter and kilometer should have “meter” pronounced in it because it’s a unit of measure involving the meter.

@Thudlow_Boink

I stress the second syllable, even though this is illogical and inconsistent, since I stress the first syllable in words like “centimeter,” “millimeter,” “kilogram,” and “kilowatt.” I guess I’m just doing it the way I’ve heard other people pronounce it, but I don’t know why they pronounce it that way.

@pulykamell

Maybe because it follows similar stress patterns to other two-syllable prefixed “-meter” words: thermometer, altimeter, micrometer (the measuring tool), telemeter, etc.

Yes. I say “KILL-oh-Mee-dur” for the unit of measure, similarly to “SENN-ih-Mee-dur” (centimetre), “MILL-ih-Mee-dur” (millimetre), “MIKE-roh-Mee-dur” (micrometre).

On the other hand, I pronounce micrometer, the measuring instrument, as “mi-KROM-ehh-dur”. The micrometer measures in micrometres. Different spelling, different pronunciation.

When I was a kid, we promounced kilometre as “kill-OMM-e-dur”, but we were explicitly told sometime in public school that this stressing was wrong, and so say it similarly to cenimetre, millimetre, etc.

[elfkin477]

Something like kil-lom-eter.

[mnemosyne]

kih-LOM-ih-ter, which is inconsistent with centimetre (sen-tee-mee-ter) and millimetre (mill-ee-mee-ter).

I’m like Sunspace in that the measuring instruments (meters) don’t get the same spelling and pronunciation as the unit of measure (metres) “The micrometer measures in micrometres”.

[Harmonious_Discord]

kil-LOM-it-er for speed in a car or distance on a map.

Kil-o-meter for math questions in a book.

I don’t know why. I just do it that way.

[Ace309]

‘Click.’

[Northern_Piper]

I clicked “other”. I don’t pronounce the “i” at all - it comes out more like “k’law-mit-er”. If I’m talking really fast, it turns into a two-syllable word: “k’lawm-itr”

Western Canadian.

[wolfman]

I pronounce it “Sicks tenths ov a Mile”

[Malacandra]

@wolfman

I pronounce it “Sicks tenths ov a Mile”

But you should say “Faahv eights ov a Mile”!

[Markxxx]

I say Kilos and Meters so when I combine it, it naturally comes out as key-low-mee-ter

[vivalostwages]

I’m taking medical transcription and noticing that many dictators pronounce cm as “sauna-meter.”

What’s up with that?

[Johnny_L.A]

They’re using a French accent?

[EmAnJ]

@Cat_Whisperer

I don’t think Johnny’s quite got the Western Canadian pronunciation down, though - it’s more like “kil-LOM-it-er,” with the last syllable almost swallowed.

You are right! That is closer to how I pronounce it.

[vivalostwages]

@Johnny_L.A

They’re using a French accent?

They’re pretty much American speakers, with no other words accented.

[Kyla]

I stress the second syllable. At first when I started thinking about this, I wanted to blame this on my stints as an expat, but now that I think about it, at least in Bulgarian, the accent is actually on the third syllable (“kee-lo-MET-ri”). It would be quite weird if I transferred that into English.

So I don’t know.

[pulykamell]

@Johnny_L.A

They’re using a French accent?

There’s definitely a different pronunciation of “centimeter” for those in the medical profession. I’ve noticed a good number of nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff, pronounce centimeter as something like “SAWN-timeter.” I do believe it derives from the French, but I’m not sure what the exact story is.

[vivalostwages]

@pulykamell

There’s definitely a different pronunciation of “centimeter” for those in the medical profession. I’ve noticed a good number of nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff, pronounce centimeter as something like “SAWN-timeter.” I do believe it derives from the French, but I’m not sure what the exact story is.

It’s a curious thing. My mom’s oncologist uses this pronunciation as well.

[rowrrbazzle]

Someone on the board pointed out the international standard is always to pronounce the prefix the same. So KIL-o-meter. Since then, that’s the way I’ve pronounced the word the few times I’ve used it.

But if I had to use it a lot in casual situations, I’d like to use the military slang “klik”.

[rowrrbazzle]

@vivalostwages

I’m taking medical transcription and noticing that many dictators pronounce cm as “sauna-meter.”

Castro? Chavez? Ahmadinejad?

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

But seriously, can anyone tell me if French speakers pronounce it that way? Scientists? TV and radio correspondents? The average homme on the rue?

[Noone_Special]

@Kyla

I stress the second syllable. At first when I started thinking about this, I wanted to blame this on my stints as an expat, but now that I think about it, at least in Bulgarian, the accent is actually on the third syllable (“kee-lo-MET-ri”). It would be quite weird if I transferred that into English.

So I don’t know.

Huh. Same in Hebrew: ki-lo-MEH-ter, san-ti-MEH-ter, mi-li-MEH-ter; but, interestingly, KILO-grahm, MILLI-grahm. Dunno what’s up with that…

I don’t speak English (as opposed to writing it) often enough to really be able to say how it would come out of my mouth if it were to come up… Probably KILL-a-meter, to go with CENTI-meter and KILO-gram (and KILL-a-byte, MEGA-byte, JIGA-byte. Yes, I’m a geek :o) but I’m not sure!

So – “other.”

[Lynn_Bodoni]

@Ace309

‘Click.’

Same here.

I used kms when I lived in Spain, everything was measured in kms and the cars also had kph instead of mph. Every English-speaking person said clicks instead of kilometers, and I got into the habit of using that term myself.