How to Pronounce Pho

Vietnamese uses a Latin-based alphabet called chữ Quốc ngữ, developed by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. The Vietnamese language has more vowel sounds than the Latin alphabet has letters, so the missionaries used diacritics (marks above and below letters) to distinguish them.

The letter ơ (with a small hook on the upper right) makes a sound similar to the u in the English word "cup." The letter o (without the hook) makes a sound closer to the aw in "law." Without diacritics, "phở" looks like "pho" to English readers — and our brains default to English vowel rules. This is why the mispronunciation "foe" is so universal.

The ph at the start is straightforward — it sounds like an English F, just like in "phone" or "photograph." So "phở" is simply F + ơ = fuh.

Linguists have two main theories about the origin of the word phở:

1. From French "pot-au-feu": When France colonized Vietnam in the late 1800s, French soldiers brought their love of beef stew (pot-au-feu) — and Vietnamese cooks adapted the technique using local ingredients like rice noodles, ginger, and star anise. Over time, "feu" (pronounced "fuh") may have evolved into "phở."
2. From Cantonese "fấn": Some scholars argue that "phở" comes from the Cantonese word for noodle (粉, pronounced "fấn"). Northern Vietnam has historically had close cultural ties to southern China, so this is also plausible.

Both theories are taught in food history. What is certain is that pho as we know it today emerged in northern Vietnam in the early 1900s — and the dish quickly spread south, becoming Vietnam's national dish by the mid-20th century. For the full story, read our complete history of pho.