Uhm or um?
uhm is an interjection meaning “Alternative form of um”; um is an interjection meaning “Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation”. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) um is about 10 times as common as uhm.
What is the difference between uhm and um?
| uhm | um | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | interjection | interjection, verb, noun, particle, suffix, prefix, pronoun |
| Meaning | Alternative form of um | Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation USDated spelling of mmm To make the um sound to express uncertainty or hesitancy |
| Example | none recorded | Um, I don’t know |
| Forms | none | ums, umming, ummed, ahm, ehm, em |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ʌm/ /əm/ |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words | 13 times per million words |
Sources: uhm and um in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of uhm and um
uhm
- 1
Alternative form of um
um
- 1
Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation
Um, I don’t know
- 2
To make the um sound to express uncertainty or hesitancy
- 3
An occurrence of the interjection "um"
- 4
datedoffensiveAn undifferentiated determiner or article; a miscellaneous linking word, or filler with nonspecific meaning; representation of broken English stereotypically or comically attributed to Native…
Me be Injun. Him um Growling Bear. Him um heap big chief
- 5
Denotes singular grammatical number
- 6
Denotes transitive verbs in the trade pidgins used between English-speakers and indigenous populations; used derogatorily by extension in English by addition to any verb, transitive or not
- 7
Initialism of unmounted mint
- 8
Alternative form of 'em
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, uhm or um?
uhm appears 1.3 times per million words; um 13 times per million words.
uhm 1.3 times per million wordsum 13 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search uhm vs um?
“uhm vs um” is searched about 40 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“um vs uhm”, “uhm or um”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.