Etymology

lọ ("smut") + lem ("to be blurred, to be contaminated")

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [l̪ɔ˧ˀ˨ʔ l̪ɛm˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [lɔ˨ˀ˨ʔ lɛm˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [l̻ʲɔ˨ˀ˧ʔ l̻ʲɛm˧˥]