umm
UK: ʌm | US: ʌm
interj. a vocalized pause or hesitation sound, often used to fill silence while thinking.
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"Umm" is an example of a vocal hesitation or filler sound, classified as a "speech disfluency." It arises naturally in spoken language across cultures, serving as a placeholder during pauses. Unlike structured words, it lacks morphemic components and originates from unconscious vocalization patterns rather than linguistic roots. Similar to "uh" or "er," its spelling is phonetic, reflecting the sound produced during hesitation.
"Umm, I’m not sure about the answer to that question."
She paused and said, "Umm, let me think for a moment."
"Umm... could you repeat that, please?"
The speaker filled the silence with "umm" while organizing his thoughts.
"Umm, maybe we should try a different approach."