Remarkable List of Interjections in English (With Examples)

Interjections in English are short words or expressions used to show emotions and reactions in spoken English.

In this lesson, you will learn what interjections are and see common examples that help you express surprise, happiness, pain, and hesitation naturally.

Table of Contents

Interjection Definition

Interjections are small words that bear no grammatical connection with the sentences in which they are used. They express the emotions or sentiments of the speaker or convey hesitation or protest. They are usually followed by an exclamation mark (!) or sometimes a comma (,).

Since many interjections are mainly written forms of sounds produced by humans, they are hardly used in academic or scholarly writing, unless they are part of a direct quote or dialogue.

Ah! Now that’s what I call a good shot! Bravo!

Both Ah and Bravo are interjections used to show admiration. There are many different uses for interjections in daily English.

List of Common Interjections & Examples

Interjection	Meaning	Example
Aah	Fear or shock	Aah! The monster’s got me!
Ahh	Realization or understanding	Ahh, now I see what you mean.
Aww	Something cute or sweet	Aww! Just look at that kitten.
Bingo	Something is correct	Bingo! That’s exactly right.
Eh	Asking for confirmation	So that was all she said, eh?
Eww	Disgust	Eww! That smells awful.
Hmph	Displeasure or annoyance	Hmph. I expected better service.
Oh	Surprise, realization, or mild pain	Oh! I didn’t know that.
Oops	Small mistake	Oops! I dropped my keys.
Ouch	Pain	Ouch! That hurt.
Shh	Asking for silence	Shh! The show is starting.
Uh-oh	Something has gone wrong	Uh-oh! The teacher caught him cheating.
Whew	Relief	Whew! We finally finished.
Wow	Surprise or admiration	Wow! That’s amazing news.
Yay	Happiness or celebration	Yay! We passed the exam.
Yeah	Informal “yes”	Yeah, I’d love to help.
Yikes	Mild fear or concern	Yikes! That was close.
Yippee	Excitement	Yippee! We won! Let’s head to the party.

Hesitation Interjections (Thinking & Pausing)

Interjection	Meaning	Example
Uh	Pausing to think	Wait, I know this… uh… is it Ruskin Bond?
Hmm	Thinking carefully	Hmm, I’m not sure this color fits.
Er	Uncertainty	I don’t think… er… let me check.
Um	Hesitation or doubt	Um, are you sure about this?