Er

Er

A short documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

interjection

Pronunciation

ur   /ɜː/

Definition

A hesitation sound used in speech to fill a pause while the speaker thinks, recalls something, or chooses their next words carefully.

Plain meaning

The little noise people make when they're not quite ready to say the next thing.

Register

Conversational and informal. Common in unscripted speech everywhere, but usually edited out of formal writing.