eh
/ˈe/
The English filler sound "uhh" can be expressed in Spanish as eh.
In Spanish, eh is a filler sound used to indicate a pause while the speaker thinks of what to say next. Other common informal fillers used to gather thoughts include Pues…, Este…, and O sea…
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Mexico, the shortened form Pue'… is used to serve the same function as the longer pues.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈe/
Did you know?
- The filler este is the masculine demonstrative adjective for 'this'. Using it as a pause marker is essentially the speaker starting to point to a word or idea that has not yet arrived in their mind.
- In Spain, eh is frequently used at the end of a sentence with rising intonation to turn a statement into a question, similar to the English tag 'right?'
- While the English 'uhh' is almost exclusively a thinking sound, the Spanish equivalent eh can be a sharp, forceful command to 'Hey!' or 'Stop!' when shouted. This change in tone can transform a hesitant pause into an aggressive attention-grabber.
Examples in context
- Bueno, déjame pensar un momentoWell, let me think for a moment
- Pues, no sé qué decirteWell, I don't know what to tell you
- Este… no estoy seguro si puedo ir mañanaUm… I'm not sure if I can go tomorrow
- Eh, no sé qué decir.Uhh, I don't know what to say.
- Eh, ¿puedes repetir eso?Uhh, can you repeat that?
- Eh, creo que es mañana.Uhh, I think it is tomorrow.
Example conversation
María and Javier are discussing where to eat dinner.
- María¿A dónde quieres ir a cenar, Javier?Where do you want to go for dinner, Javier?
- JavierEh, no estoy seguro todavía.Uhh, I am not sure yet.
- María¿Quieres ir a la nueva pizzería?Do you want to go to the new pizzeria?
- JavierSí, eso suena muy bien.Yes, that sounds very good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
