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

There is a slew of new offerings, from a coney flight to a pho brisket sandwich to butter chicken samosas. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025

There are multiple types of pho, pad thai, takoyaki, Chinese stir-fry dishes, mapo tofu, pot stickers, chili oil wontons, wonton soup and barbecue roast pork and duck straight from the whole duck hanging in a nearby window. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025

Hoang said the menu will be similar to his original location in Columbus Park, which serves pho, mi tuoi (egg noodle soup), several different stir fry dishes and more. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2025

Pho Phon Lu serves the best pho in Austin, the beefy broth packed with star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fish sauce and all the goodness that makes the restorative soup so unique. —Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Vietnamese phở

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

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