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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
Recent Examples on the Web
The facility lacked a complete consumer advisory for rare steak pho meals.
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Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The influx of customers was participating in VIA Community Development Corporation’s (VIA CDC) annual Phobruary event, a partnership with several Southeast Asian restaurants on Milwaukee’s south side, that draws in customers by offering discounts on pho, a Vietnamese soup dish.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Ease into the day at the charming French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, which greets the dawn with coffee and pastries, before evolving its menu as the day passes, with pho and banh mi tempting the casual crowd.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Nam Kitchen also offers unlimited noodle refills on its in-house pho orders.
—Brock Keeling, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pho
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Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The influx of customers was participating in VIA Community Development Corporation’s (VIA CDC) annual Phobruary event, a partnership with several Southeast Asian restaurants on Milwaukee’s south side, that draws in customers by offering discounts on pho, a Vietnamese soup dish.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Ease into the day at the charming French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, which greets the dawn with coffee and pastries, before evolving its menu as the day passes, with pho and banh mi tempting the casual crowd.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Nam Kitchen also offers unlimited noodle refills on its in-house pho orders.
—Brock Keeling, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pho
Cite this Entry
“Pho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pho. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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