pho

noun

ˈfə 

ˈfō

: a soup made of beef or chicken broth and rice noodles

Did you know?

Pho, which first appeared in print in English in 1935, was borrowed from a Vietnamese word which was spelled phở. English speakers replaced the vowel with "o" but preserved the pronunciation as "fuh," rather than "foh." Another Vietnamese food word that was borrowed into English is nuoc mam, which refers to a type of fish sauce that is fermented in brine. In that case as well, the original Vietnamese word had accent marks that were lost on the journey into English. Nuoc mam was recorded in English just a few years before pho arrived.

Examples of pho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Alameda County, where more than 175,000 people, or 15% of the population uses SNAP, Tee Tran of Monster Pho is serving free to-go bags of pho for children. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025

The eatery’s other half features an array of beverages, like Vietnamese coffee, fresh sugarcane juice (nước mía), as well as a handful of pho options. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025

The vast sushi menu now also includes dumplings, salads, stir-fry dishes, pho and omakase. —Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2025

His pho stands out with its beefy broth, layered with smoke from the charred aromatics and fall-apart brisket. —Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Vietnamese phở

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

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