Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

umami

/uˈmɑːmi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.38 in modern English

Syllables: uma-mi
IPA: /uˈmɑːmi/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One of the five basic tastes, the savory taste of foods such as seaweed, cured fish, aged cheeses and meats.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Umami is the mysterious “fifth taste”—a flavour that has never seemed to fit into the existing categories of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. South-east Asian chefs have exploited it throughout history—it's an essential part of the taste of seaweed, among other things[…]"
"But we are, of course, sweaty, fleshy lady-animals – all fur and umami."
"A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off of acids ping receptors for "sour." Sugars get received as "sweet." Bitter, salty, and the proteinaceous flavor umami all set off their own neural cascades."
"I quickly realized that I have always been obsessed with umami; I just didn't know it. It's why a sprinkle of Parm on just about anything heightens that dish's flavor; it's why grilled smoky mushrooms taste so good. Umami is a deeply satisfying taste, and luckily for us, umami is everywhere—it's in tomatoes and soy sauce, fresh and dried mushrooms, aged cheese, nutritional yeast […]"

Etymology

From Japanese 旨味, うまみ (umami), from 旨い (umai, “delicious”) + み (-mi, “-ness”), which describes the quality of a pleasant, savory taste.

Origin

Source language: Japanese

Word Breakdown

Root: 旨味

Usage

Uncountable

Derived Forms

umaminess

Phrases

umami bomb

Frequently Paired Words

osmazome bitterness saltiness sourness sweetness

Synonyms

savoriness deliciousness meatiness brothiness

Rhymes With

tsunami sami swami origami salami murakami balmy izanami macramé palmy sunami kirigami

Questions

How do you pronounce umami?: The recorded pronunciation is /uˈmɑːmi/.
What does umami mean?: One of the five basic tastes, the savory taste of foods such as seaweed, cured fish, aged cheeses and meats.
Where does umami come from?: It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce umami

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