Which to use
“uhh” and “um” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,153
- “uhh” frequency rank
- #5,846
- “um” frequency rank
- 21999
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | uhh | um |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative form of uh. | Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation. |
Where the eye mixes uhh and um
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. uhh ([əː]) and um (/ʌm/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
uhh is recorded at frequency rank #16,153, classified as anintj, pronounced [əː]. um is at rank #5,846, tagged as anintj, pronounced /ʌm/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 21999, this pair ranks #419,811 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of uhh vs um
Shared letters: u. Private to "uhh": h. Private to "um": m.
"uhh" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "um" · 2 letters · shape VC