Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

erm

/ɝm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.22 in modern English

Syllables: erm
IPA: /ɝm/

5

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

Used in hesitant speech, or to express uncertainty.

British usage; Humorous

intj

Used to express embarrassment or subtle disagreement.

British usage; Humorous

noun

Initialism of enterprise relationship management.

noun

Ellipsis of ERM protein family.

adj

Abbreviation of ezrin-radixin-moesin.

name

Initialism of European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

Example Sentences

"She was going to, erm... the salon, I think."
"Erm, I don't think that was supposed to happen."
"– Bob would never say something like that! – Erm, he just did."
"The ERM was an arrangement that pegged most European currencies’ exchange-rate movements within limited bands."

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɝm/
British English: /ɜːm/

Usage

British usage
Humorous

Inflected Forms

ERMs (plural)

Synonyms

um umm em eh uh

Rhymes With

term firm confirm sperm worm ribbon worm germ affirm perm mongolian death worm squirm infirm

Questions

How do you pronounce erm?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɝm/.
What does erm mean?: Used in hesitant speech, or to express uncertainty.
Where does erm come from?: Onomatopoeic.

How to pronounce erm

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “erm”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɝm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “erm”.
Repeat and practice — Say “erm” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.