How to say "rumor" in Japanese

• 噂うわさJLPT N3approx.Common
  suru verb, no-adjectiveThe general word for a rumor: unverified information passing from person to person. Use it in most cases where English says 'rumor', whether the talk is casual or widespread.
  うわさは四方しほう八方はっぽうに広ひろがった。↗

  The rumor spread far and wide.
• 風評ふうひょうCommon
  nounRumor and gossip as public talk in society, where a person's or firm's reputation is at stake; typical contexts are news reports and serious discussion of the trouble rumors cause.
• 下馬評げばひょうCommon
  nounSpeculative talk about how something undecided — an election or a contest — will turn out: the pre-event word on the street. For an ordinary rumor it is not the word.
• 伝聞でんぶんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbHearsay: information heard from others rather than known firsthand. For an ordinary rumor say 噂; reach for 伝聞 when the point is precisely that the information is secondhand.
• 余録よろくCommon
  nounReally means an unofficial record — anecdotes and hearsay set down outside official accounts. As a way of saying 'rumor' it is marginal; for an actual rumor you will normally want 噂 instead.

Use 噂 for an ordinary rumor you hear; 風評 for rumors that bear on reputations; 下馬評 for pre-event speculation; 伝聞 for secondhand hearsay; 余録 is really 'unofficial record' and seldom means a plain rumor.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 噂うわさrumour
• 風評ふうひょうrumor
• 下馬評げばひょうrumor
• 伝聞でんぶんhearsay
• 余録よろくunofficial record
• 風説ふうせつrumor
• 浮き名うきなrumour (of a love affair)
• 風聞ふうぶんrumour
• 巷談こうだんrumour
• 取りざたとりざたtalk (of the town)
• 余聞よぶんgossip
• 評説ひょうせつrumour
• 怪情報かいじょうほうgossip
• 風の噂かぜのうわさhearsay
• 風のつてかぜのつてhearsay
• 言伝ことづて(oral) message
• 説せつrumour
• ささやくto rumor
• 評判ひょうばんrumour
• 伝言つてことrumour
• 聞きききrumour
• 話はなしrumor
• 物言いものいいrumor