gear ratio: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

It is a two-word noun compound, typically written as two separate words. Hyphenation ('gear-ratio') is less common but sometimes used when the compound acts as a modifier before a noun (e.g., 'gear-ratio selection').

A 'gear ratio' can refer to the ratio in any single gear pair or set. The 'final drive ratio' is a specific, fixed gear ratio in the differential (the last gear reduction before the wheels). The overall ratio in a specific gear is the gearbox ratio multiplied by the final drive ratio.

Yes. It applies to any system with intermeshing gears, including clocks, industrial machinery, winches, and drills. The metaphorical use for input/output efficiency is also possible (e.g., 'the gear ratio of effort to results in this project is poor').

This is a common point of confusion. A 'lower' gear refers to a lower vehicle speed for a given engine speed. This requires a higher *numerical* gear ratio (e.g., 4:1). So, 'low gear' = high numerical ratio. 'High gear' (for high speed) = low numerical ratio (e.g., 0.8:1).

The numerical relationship between the rotational speeds of two connected gears, indicating how many turns of one gear result in one turn of the other.

Gear ratio is usually technical in register.

Gear ratio: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡɪə ˌreɪ.ʃi.əʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡɪr ˌreɪ.ʃoʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.