# Pronunciation of "kilometer" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100 "2001-02-27T20:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/21 "2013-05-31T21:40:44Z")
[Radio Free Vestibule] I know it’s spelled K I L O M E T E R ,but it’s pronounced Thibodeaux [/RFV] ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/22 "2013-05-31T22:02:13Z")
Welcome to the boards, Ricochet. The “zombie” jokes are because you posted to a very old thread, looks like from back in the heady days of 2001. Happens a lot, don’t worry. Me, I’m just surprised that after 15ish years the name “Ricochet” was still available. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/23 "2013-05-31T23:15:46Z")
> [@donkeyoatey](#): > > [Radio Free Vestibule] I know it’s spelled K I L O M E T E R ,but it’s pronounced Thibodeaux [/RFV] I thought it was pronounced Throat-Warbler Mangrove. ---
**Author:** ![thicksantorum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@thicksantorum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thicksantorum)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/24 "2013-05-31T23:24:17Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Rationality doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with language. I know people hate it when I say this, but it’s true – usage determines what is correct. This. I’d rather pronounce it “wrong” than sound like a smug autist by insisting on the “correct” pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/25 "2013-06-01T00:51:51Z")
Come to think of it, I don’t remember groups of 1,000 ohms being called a “kilo ohm”. “Killa ohm”, yes. “Kay ohm”, quite often. but “Key Lo Ohm”? Hope. “Key Lo Ohm”? Reminds me of some Vietnamese guy’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/26 "2013-06-01T01:17:21Z")
I reserve the kill-o-meter pronunciation for my handy body-count tracking device for zombie hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/27 "2013-06-01T02:00:23Z")
In Saskatchewan, it’s pronounced “k’lawmtre.” ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/28 "2013-06-01T04:26:01Z")
It’s KILLometre on The Canadian Broadcorping Castration airwaves. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/29 "2013-06-01T05:58:49Z")
In David Bowie’s song “Always Crashing in the Same Car,” he puts the accent on the _third_ syllable, making it sound like “killer meters.” ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/30 "2013-06-01T12:33:50Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > It’s KILLometre on The Canadian Broadcorping Castration airwaves. Very true. ---
**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 1, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/31 "2013-06-01T13:05:03Z")
I acknowledge that “-ometer” refers to a measuring device and “-metre” refers to a measurement, so it ought to be the latter, but I say both. What the hey, I’m only human. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/32 "2013-06-01T13:45:53Z")
We use miles, so it’s not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/33 "2013-06-01T14:25:24Z")
I was always outraged by the pronunciation sonta-meter. It wasn’t until years later, while reading linguistics texts, that I realized that the pronunciation was not an idiosyncratic stupidity, but, a linquistic marker. (For Medical Doctors in America in the 1940-50’s). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/34 "2013-06-01T14:31:24Z")
After four semesters of German, way back when, I can’t help but pronounce it ‘KILL-uh-mee-ter’ (or ‘KEEL-oh-may-ter’, if I’m not careful). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/35 "2013-06-01T16:17:06Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > I was always outraged by the pronunciation sonta-meter. It wasn’t until years later, while reading linguistics texts, that I realized that the pronunciation was not an idiosyncratic stupidity, but, a linquistic marker. (For Medical Doctors in America in the 1940-50’s). But we pronounce it “sent-i-meter” here in Canada, where we use centimetres. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100/36 "2013-06-01T16:20:01Z")
‘Sonta-meter’ seems to be a Doctor Thing™. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-kilometer/56100.md?page=1)