The recommended pronunciation is based on the fact that the pronunciation and emphasis of the prefix, kilo, is fixed (as in kilogram) and the pronunciation of all units is fixed. So, kilogram, kilometer, kilopascal, kilohertz, etc. all follow the same convention.
In words ending in -meter, the emphasis on the immediately preceding syllable is indicative of a measuring instrument, such as oDOMeter, speedOMeter, aneMOMeter, galvaNOMeter, etc. When people insist on saying kilOMeter, I ask them if they also say milLIMeter and cenTIMeter. Most western languages use the emphasis described above. The significant exception is Italian, where kilometer is chil�metro (pronounced keeLOMetro). Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On >Behalf Of Carl Sorenson >Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 19:18 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: [USMA:22413] Pronunciation > > >About Bush's use of kilometers in his speech to the UN, Carleton wrote: >>I wonder how he pronounced it. > >He pronounced it the way that the USMA website says to: >KILL-oh-meet-ur. He >mispronounced "nuclear" though. > >About the pronunciation of "kilometer", I've been trying to say it the way >the website says, but it sounds a little weird to most people >(including me, >sometimes). I think most people in the U.S. would probably say it >the other >way (because that's how they have heard it). A Canadian I know also says >that most people say kill-AHM-it-ur in Canada. A Namibian, though, says >they say it KILL-oh-meet-ur. > >Is it going to get standardized? What do people say in other countries? I >bet that when the UK finally changes their road signs, they will use it a >lot more and that will help standardize a pronunciation (since they have as >many people as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia put together). In my >view, I am just happy to hear people use it, so I don't make a big deal >about it (and I do hear it occasionally). > >Carl
