Which instrument is used to measure wind speed during a weather observation?

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Measuring wind speed requires an instrument that responds to air motion and converts that motion into a readable speed. The tool designed for this is the anemometer. In weather stations you’ll typically see cup-type or propeller-type anemometers; when wind blows, the cups spin or the propeller turns, and the device’s sensor translates that rotation into a wind speed, shown in units like meters per second or miles per hour. Other instruments have different jobs: a barometer measures atmospheric pressure, a hygrometer measures humidity, and a thermometer measures temperature. Wind direction is tracked separately with a wind vane, which doesn’t quantify speed.