Erm
/ɜːm/noun
An interjection used to express hesitation, uncertainty, or a pause while thinking.
Did you know?“Erm” has no ancient magical or Indo-European root; it belongs to a global family of hesitation sounds that arise naturally in speech and vary by language and region.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistoric speech
Human vocal expression
* hesitation vocalization
“A nonlexical pause sound used while organizing speech; no single reconstructable ancestral word is known.”
17th Century
English
um
“An interjection marking hesitation or difficulty in answering.”
19th Century
English
er
“A hesitation sound, especially in spoken English.”
Early 20th Century
British English
erm
“A spelling representing a lengthened or regional form of “er.””
Modern English
English
erm
“A conventional written representation of hesitation, especially in British English.”