How to pronounce kelvin
Say it like KEL-vun. Kelvin has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce kelvin. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KEL
- vun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Kelvin pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- vunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of kelvin
American and British speakers say kelvin in essentially the same way: /ˈkɛlvən/ in the US and /ˈkɛlvɪn/ in the UK.
British respelling: KEL-vin.
What does kelvin mean?
- In the International System of Units, the base unit of thermodynamic temperature; ¹⁄_(273.16) of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.“Ice melts above 273.15 kelvins.”
- One degree of difference on this scale, as a unit interval.“The dew point here today is only 1 kelvin above what it was yesterday.”
- A measurement of color warmth defined by the temperature kelvin at which an incandescent blackbody would emit a given color.
Where does kelvin come from?
Named after Irish-born Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- k
Questions about saying kelvin
How do you pronounce kelvin?
Say KEL-vun. The American pronunciation is /ˈkɛlvən/. In British English it is /ˈkɛlvɪn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in kelvin?
Kelvin has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KEL). Broken into parts: KEL · vun.
Do Americans and Brits say kelvin the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkɛlvən/ and the British form is /ˈkɛlvɪn/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.