Hm

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. A short wordless sound made with closed lips to show hesitation, thoughtfulness, or mild doubt
2. An informal vocal noise people make while pausing to consider something or to signal uncertainty
3. A brief murmured exclamation used to express that one is thinking, doubtful, or unsure about a remark

Etymology: The sound itself is a wordless hum, which is why so many languages have a similar syllable for hesitation or thought, but the spelled form in English stands for a question about quantity. Spelled as letters, "hm" would be read as "how much," a compressed way of writing the phrase, the same kind of shorthand that gives English abbreviations such as "etc." or "approx." Its use as an interjection is the part that has drifted furthest from that original meaning, since the letters now usually stand for a murmur of doubt, consideration or mild disapproval rather than a question about amount.

Synonyms: hmm, hmmm