谣言 (yáo yán) is the standard, neutral noun for 'rumor' — false or unverified information spread among people. It is more direct and common than 风 (fēng), which only means 'rumor' in informal or compound uses (e.g., 风声). Compared to 传言 and 传闻, which can also be verbs meaning 'to spread a rumor' or 'to be rumored', 谣言 is strictly a noun and focuses on the content of the rumor itself.