Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kilogram

/ˈkɪləɡɹæm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.01 in modern English

Syllables: kil-o-gram
IPA: /ˈkɪləɡɹæm/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg

noun

The unit of weight such that a one-kilogram mass is also a one-kilogram weight.

Example Sentences

"Holonyms: megagram < gigagram"
"Meronyms: picogram < nanogram < microgram < milligram < gram"
"Friday’s vote has permanently redefined the kilogram and sent Le Grand K into retirement."
"A nan (bread) costs 25 Afghanis : a kilogram of beef 800 Afghanis and mutton of the same weight for 1200 Afghanis; […]"
"Review of systems was positive for unintentional weight gain of 13.5 kilograms in the last eight months, excessive fatigue, fever, difficulty focusing, one episode of painful oral ulcer on the roof of her mouth, change in the hair texture with nonscarring alopecia, shortness of breath with exertion, and constipation."

Etymology

Borrowed from French kilogramme. By surface analysis, kilo- + gram.

Inflected Forms

kilograms (plural) kilogramme (alternative, UK) chiliogramme (alternative, obsolete) chilogramme (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

kilogrammage multikilogram

Phrases

kilogram calorie kilogram-force kilogram-metre metre-kilogram-second

Synonyms

kilo kg

Rhymes With

milligram

Questions

How do you pronounce kilogram?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɪləɡɹæm/.
What does kilogram mean?: In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ when expressed in units of kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹. Symbol: kg
Where does kilogram come from?: Borrowed from French kilogramme. By surface analysis, kilo- + gram.

How to pronounce kilogram

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kilogram”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɪləɡɹæm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “kilogram”.
Repeat and practice — Say “kilogram” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.