oomph
/ʊmf/noun, verb
oomph is spelled O-O-M-P-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,947th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, oomph means “Strength, power, passion or effectiveness; clout” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of oomph is oomphs.
How many letters and syllables are in oomph?
| Letters | 5: O-O-M-P-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 45,947th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is oomph?
Oomph appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,947th 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 oomph?
- /ʊmf/
- /umf/
Oomph 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-oomph.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of oomph
- oomphs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- oomphing participle, present
- oomphed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does oomph mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
informalStrength, power, passion or effectiveness; clout.
Use a mild cleanser, but pick something with enough oomph to do the job.
- 2
informalSex appeal.
- 3
A bassy grunting or thudding sound.
verb
- 1
To produce a bassy grunting or thudding sound.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Oomph in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Pep, Schwung, Schneid, Schmackes , Feuer, Ausstrahlung |
| Spanish | garra, marcha, mosh, punche |
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 oomph come from?
Onomatopoeic.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).