How to pronounce um
Say it like UHM. Um is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce um. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- UHM
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Um pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- UHMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of um
American and British speakers say um in essentially the same way: /ʌm/ in the US and /əm/ in the UK.
British respelling: um.
What does um mean?
- Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation.“Um, I don’t know.”
- Dated spelling of mmm.
- An expression to forcefully call attention to something wrong.“Um, excuse me!”
- To make the um sound to express uncertainty or hesitancy.
- An occurrence of the interjection "um".
Where does um come from?
Onomatopoeic.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with um
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of um.
Questions about saying um
How do you pronounce um?
Say UHM. The American pronunciation is /ʌm/. In British English it is /əm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in um?
Um is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: UHM.
Do Americans and Brits say um the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ʌm/ and the British form is /əm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.