uh-huh

See also: uhhuh and uh huh

English

Alternative forms

• uhhuh, uh huh, uhuh

Etymology

Imitative of non-verbal sounds used to indicate agreement or to allow the speaker to continue talking. Compare synonymous mhm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʌ˨ˈɦʌ˩˧]
• Both vowels may be nasalized; the [ɦ] may be a regular [h]; the pitch may show some variability; and occasionally, the first syllable may be stressed.

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Particle

uh-huh

1. Yes; yeah.
   • 1914, Sinclair Lewis, Our Mr. Wrenn:

     "So? Lived there long?" "Uh-huh, I--" began Mr. Wrenn.

Usage notes

• "Uh-huh" can be used informally as an answer to a question.
• "Uh-huh" can be used to show disinterest or disbelief in answer to a statement in lieu of other similar statements such as "Whatever".
• "Uh-huh" is often said while someone else is talking, in order to show that the listener is still interested or agrees with what the speaker is saying (backchannelling).
• "Uh-huh" can serve as an informal reply to thanks or an expression of gratitude.
• "Uh-huh", in an elongated form, can be used to signify sarcastic agreement.

Synonyms

• mhm

Antonyms

• uh-uh

Derived terms

• yeah-huh

Translations

expressing agreement or affirmation

Bulgarian: аха (bg) (aha) Chinese: Mandarin: 嗯哼 (zh) (enhēng) Czech: mhm (cs) Dutch: uhu Estonian: mhm Hungarian: aha (hu) Ingrian: jaaha Japanese: うん (ja) (un) Marathi: हं n (hm) Persian: Dari: آه (fa) (āh, ā) Polish: mhm (pl) (pronounced with closed mouth, stressed on the ult), yhy (pronounced with closed mouth, stressed on the ult), aha (pl) (possibly a spelling pronunciation; stressed on the ult) Portuguese: aham (pt) Russian: ага́ (ru) (agá), угу (ru) (ugu) Spanish: ajá (es), anjá (Latin America), anja (es) (Venezuela), anhá (Latin America) Sundanese: heueuh (su) Swedish: mhm Tagalog: oo (tl) Turkish: ha (tr) Ukrainian: ага́ (uk) (ahá) Vietnamese: ừ (vi), ờ (vi)

Further reading

• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “uh-huh”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.
• Rod Gardner (2001), When Listeners Talk
• John Algeo (2009), The Origins and Development of the English Language

Anagrams

• huh-uh