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

What used to be a one-stop barbecue shop is now a city bursting with countless dining options and cuisines, from street tacos to one of the best bowls of pho in the country. —Caitlin Morton, AFAR Media, 27 Jan. 2025

There’s no wrong way to have your bowl of pho, said Pho Momma’s owner, My Le. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025

Inspectors cited the cafe, which specializes in pho and boba tea, for cockroaches and food not being held at appropriate temperatures. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025

La Dong, a Vietnamese restaurant off Union Square popular on social media for its dramatic dining room and tableside pours of pho, is also included. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Vietnamese phở

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

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