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How to pronounce humph

Say it like HUHMF. Humph is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.

VoiceSpeed

Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce humph. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.

US American/hʌmf/HUHMF
UK British/hʌmf/HUHMF
  • HUHMF
  • Main stress
  • Lighter stress
  • Unstressed

Humph pronunciation, sound by sound

Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.

  1. HUHMFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.

American vs British pronunciation of humph

American and British speakers say humph in essentially the same way: /hʌmf/ in the US and /hʌmf/ in the UK.

British respelling: HUHMF.

What does humph mean?

interjection
  1. A sound, usually made with a closed mouth pouting, indicating annoyance, indignation, disapproval, doubt, or sighing.
verb
  1. To utter "humph!" in doubt or disapproval.

Where does humph come from?

A natural utterance, first recorded in the mid-16th century.

Similar and opposite words

Similar meaning

Questions about saying humph

How do you pronounce humph?

Say HUHMF. The American pronunciation is /hʌmf/. In British English it is /hʌmf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

How many syllables are in humph?

Humph is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: HUHMF.

Do Americans and Brits say humph the same way?

Almost exactly. The American form is /hʌmf/ and the British form is /hʌmf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.

Pronunciation from CMUdict; meaning and origin adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).