Erm

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. A sound spoken as an interjection to show hesitation or a pause while one is thinking of what to say next
2. This vocal filler is used in speech to signal uncertainty or a brief gap before a speaker continues a sentence
3. It is an interjection people utter when they hesitate, buying a moment to think before speaking again

Etymology: "Erm" is onomatopoeic, meaning it was formed to imitate a sound rather than built from older words. It is the hesitant hum a speaker makes while searching for the next word, a vowel-like murmur that signals "I am still thinking, don't interrupt me yet." Because the sound is produced with the mouth mostly closed, it carries the sense of a pause without requiring any actual words. Its spelling is the main reason it looks like a word at all. Pure hesitation sounds are not normally written down in dictionaries, but the sound is common enough across English speakers that it has been recorded in its written form, and it now sits alongside other interjections that do the same job.

Synonyms: er, um, uh