Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fum

/fʌm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.05 in modern English

Syllables: fum
IPA: /fʌm/

8

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To play upon a fiddle.

Intransitive verb; Obsolete

noun

The fenghuang, a mythological Chinese bird.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Follow me, and fum as you go."
"The fum is a bird said to be found in no part of the world but China. It is described as of most admirable beauty, and if at any time absent, or long unseen, it is regarded as an omen of some misfortune to the royal family."

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinese 鳳 /凤.

Usage

Inflected Forms

fums (present, singular) fumming (participle, present) fummed (participle, past) fummed (past) fums (plural) feng (alternative) fung (alternative) fung-hwang (alternative)

Phrases

fee-faw-fum fee-fi-fo-fum

Frequently Paired Words

fee-faw-fum fee-fi-fo-fum

Rhymes With

from some come become kingdom come mum sum blow to kingdom come overcome drum cum thumb

Questions

How do you pronounce fum?: The recorded pronunciation is /fʌm/.
What does fum mean?: To play upon a fiddle.
Where does fum come from?: Borrowed from Chinese 鳳 /凤.

How to pronounce fum

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