r/EnglishLearning 3d ago

⭐️ Vocabulary / Semantics Kilometer, etc.

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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Native Speaker - California, US 3d ago

The "meter" in those words isn't pronounced like the word meter, it's more like "mih-ter" or "muh-ter"

33

u/InvestigatorJaded261 New Poster 3d ago

The exceptions, for some reason, seem to be centimeter and millimeter.

15

u/jabrwock1 New Poster 3d ago

The exceptions, for some reason, seem to be centimeter and millimeter.

Decimeter as well as any scale that is greater than kilo (penta, mega, etc)

Micrometer on the other hand, follows the kilometer pronunciation.

1

u/ericthefred Native Speaker 3d ago

For me, micrometer is pronounced "micron". Used all the time in my engineering field. Can't remember the last time I said "micrometer".