Experiments to determine the heat transfer from hot wires with length‐to‐diameter ratios on the order of 102, which are commonly used in hot wire anemometry, were performed. The Reynolds numbers used were less than 10, the overheat ratio was kept at 0.80, and the fluid was air. The results indicate that the exponentnin the relationshipEb2=A+BUn, whereEbis the bridge voltage andUthe fluid velocity, was equal to 0.45 for wires operated at constant temperature. A linearization circuit which provides an accurate means of recovering the velocity from the above relationship for values ofnof 0.45 and 0.50 is described. The main component of the circuit is a temperature compensated, ten segment silicon diode function generator manufactured by Philbrick Researches, Inc. The frequency response of the linearizer is from dc to 36 kc or from dc to 180 kc depending on the operational amplifiers used in the circuit.