ehm

Examples

• All

• Ehm...I'm sorry, I have to go.

  Milarepa (2025)

• You need to, ehm, establish ...a physical connection.

  A Young Man With High Potential (2019)

• Now seriously, ehm, Mary I am warning you, ok?

  Scream 4 (2011)

• - Nothing, you just, ehm, you remind me of me.

  Scream 4 (2011)

• Ehm, how did you get that.

  #Roxy (2018)

• Ehm, what happened to the old one?

  Blog text (9)

• Ehm... our orders are very modest.

  Nuns on the Run (1990)

• Ehm, the old intro here just didn't seem appropriate anymore.

  Blog text (16)

• Ehm, not really.

  Blog text (28)

• Ehm, let me think for a moment before I answer you.

Synonyms

U

uh

vsehm

• Informal

∞ 7.3

A short sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is often the pause made when searching for particular words or ideas

U

um

vsehm

• Informal

∞ 4.1

A short sound people say when they pause to think

is focused on pausing while searching for specific words or thoughts

H

hmm

vsehm

• Informal

∞ 8.7

A sound people make when they hesitate and think

is used more for pausing to find exact words rather than showing doubt

A

ah

vsehm

• Informal

744 2.4

A short sound people make when they hesitate or think

is usually used to pause when searching for words, not exclaiming

M

mmm

vsehm

• Informal

384 9.5

A sound people make when they think or hesitate

is often used specifically to pause while searching for exact words

U

umm

vsehm

• Informal

96 8.8

A short sound people make when they pause to think

is used especially when searching for words or thinking aloud

E

erm

vsehm

• UK

65 9.9

A short sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is typically used when pausing to think of a word or phrase

U

uhh

vsehm

• Informal

41 9.5

A sound people use when they hesitate or are unsure

is used mainly to pause while searching for the right word

U

uhm

vsehm

• Informal

35 9.8

A short sound people make when they pause to think

is often used when searching for the right word or phrase

U

uhhh

vsehm

• Informal

17 9.9

A sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is used for quick pauses when searching for words or thinking

B

buh

vsehm

• Informal

8 9.9

A short unsure sound you make when you search for words

is often used for pausing while trying to find the right word

U

uhhhh

vsehm

• Informal

3 9.9

A sound people make when they hesitate or think

is the shorter hesitation used when briefly searching for words

O

ohhhh

vsehm

• Informal

2 9.8

A long sound people make when thinking before they speak

is more of a quiet pause used when searching for words, not exclaiming

E

ehhh

vsehm

• Informal

1 9.9

A hesitation sound people make when they think or search for words

is commonly used to pause briefly while trying to find words

E

errr

vsehm

• Informal

1 9.5

A short sound people make when they are not sure

is preferred for searching for words rather than expressing doubt

M

mhm

vsehm

• Informal

1 9.9

A low sound people make while thinking or hesitating

is used instead to pause while thinking or looking for words

M

mmmmm

vsehm

• Informal

1 9.9

A low sound showing thought or hesitation before answering

is commonly a brief hesitation used when temporarily searching for words

A

augh

vsehm

• Informal

9.9

A short sound that shows you are not sure what to say

is used mainly to pause and search for words rather than show reluctance

How Hesitant

hmm

• Informal

∞ 8.7

erm

• UK

65 9.9

ehm

• Informal

5 8.7

uh

• Informal

∞ 7.3

Surface Forms

Etymology