How many pronunciations that arent incorrect the are there in the language?

[jekirk]

Hi all,

I was curious to learn how the word "kilometer" is pronounced differently in English (US). Here are some common variations I've noticed or heard:

kuh laa muh tr
kee laa muh tr
kuh luh mee tr
kee luh mee tr
kuh low muh tr
kee low mee tr
kuh low mee tr
kee low mee tr
(and others)

I even thought of at least three possible pronunciations due to differences in vowels and stress. As far as I understand, there are no pronunciation rules for in English, which makes it flexible but at the same time easier for language learners.

Phonetically, the following examples can be given:

ki similar key
low as a bow (like a bow and arrow)
like a bee

What pronunciations of the word "kilometer" are considered the most common or standard? Are all of these pronunciations considered?

 

[5jj]

There are two common pronunciations for the word.[1]

1. /ˈkɪləmiːtər, -loʊ-/
2. /kɪˈlɒmɪtər/

The first pronunciation follows a pattern in English whereby SI units are pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (as in kilogram, kilojoule and kilohertz) and the pronunciation of the actual base unit does not change irrespective of the prefix (as in centimetre, millimetre, nanometre and so on). It is generally preferred by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).[citation needed]

Many other users, particularly in countries where SI (the metric system) is not widely used, use the second pronunciation with stress on the second syllable.[2][3] The second pronunciation follows the stress pattern used for the names of measuring instruments (such as micrometer, barometer, thermometer, tachometer, and speedometer). The contrast is even more obvious in countries that use the American spelling of the word metre. This pronunciation is irregular because it makes the kilometre the only SI unit with the stress on the second syllable.

Kilometre - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org