Is it all right to use that "word" in a conversation? Or should I say something like: "I made a vague approving sound." Personally I like the first one more.
Mhm. I'd use it. Definitely. You could also use "uh huh" or "mm". I've seen those used in books before. Just don't overuse it.
I would probably use, "Mm hmm." But I don't have a dictionary of grunts, so yours is probably as good as mine.
'mhm' means nada to me... would seem to be a typo... same goes for 'mm' or mmn'... i'd go with cog's suggestion... but i'd hyphenate it...
According to Baylor University Institute for Oral History’s “TRANSCRIBING STYLE GUIDE,” this is how it should be done: Agreement or affirmation: uh-huh, um-hm; Disagreement: unh-uh
Loved your responce. I think it depends on the flow of the book. Is it a book about teenagers? I would use mhmm. You could even do something like this: "Are you alright, honey?" I asked as I stared out the window into the deep night. "Mmhmm, dear." Or: "Are you okay, dear? You seem a bit off." "Mmmhmmm... I'm fine."
Would such a dictionary use grunts in the definitions? Mhm (n): Um hmm num, but less mmmie. Derived from the old English grunt Hummina Hummina.
I'd go with mm-hmm as Maia said, and never mmhmm, which is just weird looking and hard to read. Even uh-hmm works for me.
When writing your characters dialogue it is important to put yourself in their shoes. If you think they would say "mhhm," "hmm," or "mm," as a reply then use those words. There is no reason to try and put what you think is 'correct' as their words, it should be the characters words through you. Hope that makes sense, or is helpful.
People have different voices and ways of grunting. I'd say be creative, as long as the result is fairly clear. Janet the 6 year old girl says "Ahuh!" all the time. Her dad says "Mmm-hmmm... Hrmph." and chews on his pipe. It doesn't have to be so uniform.
