uhhh

Examples

• All

• A: Uhhh, that would be point zero zero five of a cent.

  Blog text (1)

• Uhhh, yeah, we know she dazzles, Bob... so give Liza her own show already!

  Blog text (15)

• - Uhhh, yeah, man, actually, like these here.

  Gregoire (2017)

• Here you go, "mate"... - Uhhh, no, I think we're good.

  CHEST (2022)

• Uhhh, that may have been exactly what I thought throughout all of high school.

  Blog text (10)

• "I'm like, uhhh, I'm good," he said.

  Blog text (17)

• Uhhh, yeah, lemme, ah, sorry, honey, hold on.

  Thunder Road (2018)

• In a world where people blindly hate mutants, uhhh, I think we're all clear what happened there.

  Blog text (18)

• Uhhh... do you know how many mirrors WikiLeaks has all over the globe?

  Blog text (30)

• Uhhh... big difference between O and Romney, even when I'm at my most perturbed and disappointed.

  Blog text (14)

Synonyms

U

uh

vsuhhh

• Informal

∞ 7.3

A short sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is used more broadly for uncertainty or extended pausing

U

um

vsuhhh

• Informal

∞ 4.1

A short sound people say when they pause to think

is broader, expressing both uncertainty and longer hesitation

H

hmm

vsuhhh

• Informal

∞ 8.7

A sound people make when they hesitate and think

covers thinking but also signals a clearer pause and uncertainty

A

ah

vsuhhh

• Informal

744 2.4

A short sound people make when they hesitate or think

is used more generally for hesitation and longer uncertainty

M

mmm

vsuhhh

• Informal

384 9.5

A sound people make when they think or hesitate

is used more generally to mark uncertainty or pause

U

umm

vsuhhh

• Informal

96 8.8

A short sound people make when they pause to think

is used more widely to show uncertainty or longer pause

E

erm

vsuhhh

• UK

65 9.9

A short sound people make when they hesitate while speaking

is more general and used widely to show pause or doubt

U

uhh

vsuhhh

• Informal

41 9.5

A sound people use when they hesitate or are unsure

covers hesitation plus a sense of pause while thinking

U

uhm

vsuhhh

• Informal

35 9.8

A short sound people make when they pause to think

tends to signal more general uncertainty rather than just searching

B

buh

vsuhhh

• Informal

8 9.9

A short unsure sound you make when you search for words

is the usual hesitation marker for thinking or pausing

U

uuh

vsuhhh

• Informal

6 9.9

A sound someone makes when they hesitate or need time to think

is the basic hesitation used while thinking or pausing

E

ehm

vsuhhh

• Informal

5 8.7

A short sound people make when they pause to think while speaking

is more general, signaling uncertainty beyond just word search

U

uhhhh

vsuhhh

• Informal

3 9.9

A sound people make when they hesitate or think

is the general form used for hesitation and uncertainty

E

ehh

vsuhhh

• Informal

3 9.6

A sound people make to show they are not sure or hesitant

focuses more on pausing while thinking rather than attitude

H

hem

vsuhhh

3 8.4

A short sound made by clearing the throat to get attention or show hesitation

is a vocal pause used mainly to show uncertainty while thinking

O

ohhhh

vsuhhh

• Informal

2 9.8

A long sound people make when thinking before they speak

is the neutral hesitation used to show pause or uncertainty

E

errr

vsuhhh

• Informal

1 9.5

A short sound people make when they are not sure

is the shorter general hesitation used across situations

E

ehhh

vsuhhh

• Informal

1 9.9

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

is the standard hesitation used for uncertainty or pausing

M

mhm

vsuhhh

• Informal

1 9.9

A low sound people make while thinking or hesitating

is broader, marking uncertainty or any pause while speaking

M

mmmmm

vsuhhh

• Informal

1 9.9

A low sound showing thought or hesitation before answering

is the basic hesitation form without prolonged humming

A

augh

vsuhhh

• Informal

9.9

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

is more neutral, simply marking hesitation or uncertainty

H

hurr

vsuhhh

• Slang

9.9

People type it online to show confusion or surprise

is the spoken hesitation used primarily to show thinking or doubt

How Hesitant

uhhhh

• Informal

3 9.9

uhhh

• Informal

17 9.9

uhh

• Informal

41 9.5

uh

• Informal

∞ 7.3

Surface Forms

Etymology