mph

IPA/ˌem piː ˈeɪtʃ/
KK[ˈɛmpˈiˈetʃ]IPA/ˌem piː ˈeɪtʃ/

mph — abbreviation

1. a unit for measuring speed, equal to the number of miles a vehicle, person, or o

1.abbreviationA2
Definition

a unit for measuring speed, equal to the number of miles a vehicle, person, or object moves in one hour

Example

The speed limit on Highway 101 is 65 mph, but many drivers go faster.

speed limit + number + mph (road sign pattern)

Lukas bought an electric scooter that can reach a top speed of 30 mph.

Common collocations
  • [number] + mph
  • at + [number] + mph
  • [number] + mph speed limit
  • top speed of + [number] + mph
Synonyms
  • km/h

    the metric equivalent used in most countries including Taiwan; 1 mph ≈ 1.6 km/h

Grammar Patterns

[number] + mph

at + [number] + mph

Usage Note

mph is always used after a number (e.g. 30 mph, 65 mph). In the US and UK road signs use mph, while most other countries use km/h (kilometres per hour). To convert mph to km/h, multiply by about 1.6.

Common Mistakes

I drove at 100 mph in Taipei.
I drove at 60 mph in Taipei.
Taiwan uses kilometres per hour (km/h) on road signs, not mph. mph is the standard in the US, the UK, and a few other countries.

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

mph (miles per hour) is the standard speed unit in the US and UK, used on road signs and vehicle speedometers. km/h (kilometres per hour) is the metric equivalent used in Taiwan, most of Europe, and Asia — 1 mph equals roughly 1.6 km/h. Knots is a different unit used mainly for ships and aircraft, equal to about 1.15 mph. When driving in the US, you will see mph on speed-limit signs; a limit of 65 mph equals about 105 km/h. In aviation reports, wind speeds are often given in knots rather than mph.

mph ↗km/hknots ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • speed limit
  • top speed
  • wind speed
  • average speed

Adverbs

Phrases

  • miles per hour
  • [number] mph

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Abbreviation of 'miles per hour'. The term 'mile' comes from Latin 'milia passuum' (thousands of paces). 'mph' became common in the early 20th century as automobiles and their speedometers spread across the US and UK.