hum
/ˈhʌm/noun, verb, interjection
hum is spelled H-U-M: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hum means “A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hum is hums.
How many letters and syllables are in hum?
| Letters | 3: H-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.9 times per million words; the 13,127th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is hum?
Hum appears 3.9 times per million words in written English, the 13,127th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hum?
- /ˈhʌm/
As a noun (“Synonym of see hum (“blood cockles, ark clams”)”): /hʌm/, [häm(˦)].
Hum has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-hum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with hum?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as hum.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: uhm, muh, hmu.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of hum
- hums plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- humming participle, present
- hummed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
- 2
An often indistinct sound resembling human humming.
They could hear a hum coming from the kitchen and found the dishwasher on.
- 3
Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive.
- 4
UKslangUnpleasant odour.
- 5
datedAn imposition or hoax; humbug.
- 6
obsoleteA kind of strong drink.
- 7
A phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people.
- 8
informalSynonym of see hum (“blood cockles, ark clams”).
verb
- 1
To make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.
We are humming happily along with the music.
- 2
To express by humming.
to hum a tune
- 3
To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly.
- 4
To buzz, be busily active like a beehive.
The streets were humming with activity.
- 5
To produce low sounds which blend continuously.
- 6
UKslangTo reek, smell bad.
This room really hums – have you ever tried spring cleaning, mate?
- 7
UKdatedslangTo flatter by approving; to cajole; to deceive or impose upon; to humbug.
interjection
- 1
Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.
- 2
Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.
noun
- 1
Initialism of highly unusual method: any of a class of contract bridge bidding systems that require advance preparation to contend with, and are usually restricted to the highest levels of tournament play.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Summen , summen |
| Portuguese | cantarolar , trautear |
| Spanish | tarareo , canturrear, tararear, cantusar, cantusear, canturriar |
| French | fredonner , bourdonner , fourmiller |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hum come from?
From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”); akin to Dutch hommelen (“to bumble, buzz”), dialectal Dutch hommen (“to buzz, hum”), Middle High German hummen (“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).