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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
Zuri Primos
july 22, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2025
Pho Phong Luu The steaming bowls of pho might get top billing but the garlic-fish sauce wings at this Vietnamese cafe pack an umami punch like few others in town.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
The episode ends with the buzz of the alarm at 6:45 a.m., as Jess shovels cold pho into her mouth in preparation for another exhausted workday.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025
Pho Momma’s mouthwatering pho and spring rolls at an unbelievably low price helped the La Riviera haunt join the Bib Gourmand ranks just one month after being added to Michelin’s California guide.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pho. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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