kph

IPA/ˌkeɪ piː ˈeɪtʃ/
IPA/ˌkeɪ piː ˈeɪtʃ/

kph — abbreviation

1. a short form used for measuring speed by how many kilometres are traveled in one

1.abbreviationA2
Definition

a short form used for measuring speed by how many kilometres are traveled in one hour, especially on signs, dashboards, and traffic reports

Example

The sign outside the school says 30 kph during pickup time.

speed limit on a road sign

Nora glanced at the dashboard and saw 62 kph on the screen.

number + kph on a dashboard display

Common collocations
  • 30 kph zone
  • 50 kph limit
  • travel at 80 kph
  • average 28 kph
  • dashboard reads 62 kph
Synonyms
  • km/h

    the same unit written with a slash, common on technical displays and road signs

  • kilometres per hour

    the full written form, used when the abbreviation would be unclear

  • speed

    a general word for how fast something moves, not this exact unit

Grammar Patterns

number + kph

speed limit + number + kph

travel at + number + kph

Usage Note

Used when giving or checking a speed in writing, labels, and short reports. On road signs and dashboards, it usually follows the number directly.

Common Mistakes

The car was going 80 kphs.
The car was going 80 kph.
measurement abbreviations do not take a plural ending.
The sign says kph 40.
The sign says 40 kph.
the number normally comes before the abbreviation.

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

Kph and km/h refer to the same speed unit, but they are written in different styles. Kph uses only letters, so it often appears in news reports, manuals, and casual notes. Km/h uses a slash and is more common on road signs, maps, dashboards, and technical displays. Mph is also a speed unit, but it is based on miles, not kilometres, so the number changes when you switch between them. Speed is the broad everyday word for how fast something moves, while kph names the exact unit. If a report says a bus was moving at 60 kph, it is giving a precise measured speed, not just saying the bus was fast.

kph ↗km/hmph ↗speed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at 80 kph
  • 30 kph zone
  • 50 kph limit
  • average 28 kph

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekFrenchLatinEnglish

Kph is built from the first letters of the phrase 'kilometres per hour'. It became useful when road signs, speedometers, and traffic reports needed a short written label for a measured speed. The word kilometre comes into English through French from Greek parts meaning 'thousand' and 'measure', while hour comes through French from Latin.