The thing is, while "meter" and "metre" are pronounced the same, when you use them in compound words they're not. Thermometer or odometer are pronounced with stress on the second syllable (the syllable immediately prior to "meter"), but kilometre and centimetre are pronounced with the stress on the third syllable ("MEtre").

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

Kilometer has the same stressed syllable as odometer in American English.

Easier just to distinguish pronunciation as -ometer vs -meter.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Easier just to distinguish pronunciation as -ometer vs -meter.

But kilometre and thermometer both have ometer

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Yes, and they're pronounced the same in the US.

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