Interjections are short words or sounds we use to show a strong emotion or reaction. They can express excitement, surprise, pain, hesitation, greetings, and more. In this lesson, you’ll learn common interjections grouped by feeling, so you can choose the right one in real conversations.
List of Interjections
An interjection is a word that expresses some kind of emotion. It is a part of speech in the English language. Interjections do not have a grammatical function in the sentence and are not related to the other parts of the sentence.
When you are expressing a strong emotion, use an exclamation mark (!). A comma (,) can be used for a weaker emotion.
Joy & Excitement
- Yay
- Wahoo
- Hurray
- Hooray
- Whoopee
- Yippee
- Alleluia
- Bingo
- Haha
- Ho
Surprise & Shock
- Wow
- Whoa
- Aha
- A-ha
- Oh
- Ooh
- Goodness
- Gosh
- Gee
- Yikes
- Creepers
- Blimey
- Ach
- Aaargh
Pain, Disgust & Annoyance
- Ouch
- Ow
- Ugh
- Urgh
- Yuck
- Phooey
- Bah
- Blah
- Pshaw
- Shoo
Doubt, Thinking & Hesitation
- Hmm
- Hm
- Huh
- Um
- Umm
- Uh
- Mm
- Mmm
- Mhm
- Eh
- Well
- What
- Nay
- Nah
- No
- Yes
- Aye
- Ay
Greetings & Farewells
Attention & Silence
- Ahem
- Hem
- Shh
- Hush
Mistakes, Relief & Small Reactions
- Oops
- Whoops
- Phew
- Ah
- Ahh
- Aah
- A-choo
- Whoosh
- Zap
- Ack
- Bleep
Old-fashioned / Rare
- Alas
- Dear
- Tush
- Och
- Pip-pip
- Pooh
- Aw
- Ar
- Amen
- A-ha
Strong / Informal
- Damn (informal, mild swearing)
- Duh (sarcastic: “too obvious”)
Interjections with Examples
Examples for Joy & Excitement
- Yay! I’ve finished my exam!
- Is she going for spring vacation or spring break? Wahoo!
- Bingo! Say, do you like oysters?
- Whoopee, it’s the holidays!
- Hurray! It’s time to go home.
- Haha. That’s great. Then you’re the right person to enlighten me.
Examples for Surprise & Shock
- Wow! Did you make that cake? It looks delicious!
- Whoa! Did you see me catch some air off that mogul?
- Aha! I knew you were trying to trick me!
- Is that for me? Oh, you’re so kind!
- Goodness! How many more times do I have to tell you!
- Gosh, I didn’t expect to see you here!
- Blimey, that’s a funny hat!
Examples for Pain, Disgust & Annoyance
- Ouch! It really hurts.
- Ow! I’ve got something in my eye!
- Ugh, I’ve got something horrible on the bottom of my shoe!
- Urgh, you reek of garlic!
- Phooey! That plan will never work.
- Bah! We shouldn’t even be here!
Examples for Doubt, Thinking & Hesitation
- Hmm. We need a person who can take inventory.
- Um, if I mispronounce your name, I am terribly sorry.
- Uh, yeah, I guess so.
- Well, I’ve found our position on the map.
- Mm, I know what you mean.
- Nah, it’s just a snafu.
Examples for Greetings & Farewells
- Hello, this is the Park Restaurant. May I help you?
- Hi, my name’s Tiffany. How may I help you?
- Hey, leave off! I hate people touching my hair.
- Bye! Don’t forget to write.
- Goodbye, Hanu. I wish you well.
- Cheerio! Have a good trip!
Examples for Attention & Silence
- Ahem, I wonder if I could raise this problem with you now.
- Shh! Settle down, please!
- Hush, the baby is sleeping.
Examples for Mistakes, Relief & Small Reactions
- Oops, I think I made a mistake.
- Whoops! That’s the second time I’ve spilled coffee today!
- Phew! That was a close call.
- Ah, Jessica, how wonderful to see you!
- Whoosh! The straw house falls down.
Examples for Strong / Informal Interjections
- Damn! I’ve lost my pen.
- Duh, everyone knows that already.
Last Updated on February 3, 2026
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