leh
/lɛ˨/
More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations
interrogative[lɛ(ː)˦]
leh particle: used to convey uncertainty (in response to inconsistent information).
Particle
leh
- Used to convey uncertainty (in response to inconsistent information).
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧], (interrogative) high-mid [lɛ˦]
- No leh, it’s right here.
- Used to form “what about … ?” questions.
- Pitch contour: (interrogative) high-mid [lɛ˦]
- Our appointment leh?
- Used to highlight or relay noteworthy information.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɛ˨]
- It’s next week leh.
- Used to highlight the severity or seriousness of a situation.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɛ˨]
- Many houses were destroyed leh.
- Reinforces the truth of a declarative remark.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɛ˨]
- You all damn noisy leh how to sleep?
- Indicates a tentative reminder.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɛ˨]
- Still got risotto in the fridge leh.
- Indicates a tentative request.
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧]
- Close the door leh.
- Indicates disagreement with an idea or suggestion.
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧]
- — We can try taking the train.
— I don’t think we’ll have enough time leh.
- Used to soften a disagreeing opinion.
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧]
- I don’t think that’s accurate leh.
- Synonyms:
- what
- Reinforces a tentative opinion and invites agreement.
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧]
- In my opinion the crème brûlée was so-so only leh.
- Used to suggest that the listener has failed to take something into consideration.
- Pitch contour: mid [lɛ˧]
- I don’t have all day leh.
Proper noun (1) capitalized: Leh
IPA/leɪ/
Leh
Proper noun (2) capitalized: Leh
Leh (plural Lehs)
- A surname.
Examples of leh in a sentence
- How come got 81 judges and then the number of votes is 45 vs 47 leh? 45+47 is 92 leh.2016 October 8, Chew Hui Min, quoting Lee Kin Mun, “Netizens debate how 81 judges cast 92 votes in Sing! China final”, in The Straits...
- If you’re asked something that would incriminate a fellow colleague, you just say, ‘I don’t know leh,’ and you’re in the clear (conscience-wise).2020 January 21, Terry Ng, “Toxic Workplace Cultures in Singapore: Are They More Common Than We Realise?”, in ricemedia.co, archived from...
- Navigating gradients in high heels, she says with a giggle, is “no joke leh”.2023 March 5, Wong Kim Hoh, quoting Lynette Tan, The Straits Times, Singapore, archived from the original on 26 Feb 2024:
- You’re from NDU leh,” I remarked, surprised that even someone from the Naval Diving Unit would be shy about showing his body.2015 April 19, Yeo Sam Jo, “Hello, I'm Eligible Bachelor #43”, in The Straits Times, Singapore, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2016:
Synonyms of leh
Forms of leh
| Particle | |
|---|---|
| alternative form | eh |
| alternative form | lei |
| Proper noun | |
| plural | Lehs |
Origin of leh
From Hokkien 咧 (--leh, “declarative particle used for emphasis; interrogative particle used to express doubt”).
Two main origins: * Borrowed from German Leh, perhaps an altered spelling of Löh. * Borrowed from Khmer.
Phrases with leh
Words that rhyme with leh
Questions about leh
- What does leh mean?
- Leh means used to convey uncertainty (in response to inconsistent information).
- How do you use leh in a sentence?
- How come got 81 judges and then the number of votes is 45 vs 47 leh? 45+47 is 92 leh.
- What part of speech is leh?
- Leh can be a particle or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce leh?
- Leh is pronounced /lɛ˨/.
Words near leh in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: leh (page history and authors); Leh (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “leh.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/leh. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.