Interjections

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.

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

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

Both Ah and Bravo are interjections used to show the speaker’s admiration in the sentence. There are many different uses for various interjections; the following is a list of the common interjections you may hear around you in daily life -

Interjection	Meaning	Use
Aah	Exclamation of fear	Aah! The monster’s got me!
Ahh	Realization or acceptance	Ahh, now I see what you mean.
Aww	Something sweet or cute	Aww! Just look at that kitten.
Bingo	Acknowledge something as right	Bingo! That’s exactly what we were looking for!
Eh	Question something	So that was all she said, eh?
Eww	Something disgusting	Eww! That movie was so gory.
Hmph	To indicate displeasure	Hmph. I could do that for half the amount he charged.
Oh	I see/ I think	Oh, it’s been around a week since I saw her.
Oops	Making a mistake	Oops! Sorry I didn’t see those skates there.
Ouch	Exclamation of pain	Ouch, that hurt! Stop pinching me!
Shh	An indication for silence	Shh! The show is about to start.
Uh oh	Showing dismay	Uh oh! The teacher’s caught him.
Whew	Amazement and/or relief	Whew! I can’t believe we actually finished it all.
Wow	Expressing surprise or admiration	Wow! That’s really great news!
Yay/Yaay	Congratulatory exclamation	I can’t believe you’re actually coming here! Yaay!
Yeah	Variant of ‘yes’	Yeah, I’d love some orange juice.
Yikes	For fear or concern (not serious)	Yikes, my mother’s home!
Yippee	Exclamation of celebration	Yippee! We won, lets head to the bar.

Some interjections are used to stall for time or indicate that the speaker is thinking of something. These interjections are also used when someone doesn’t know what to say. The following is a list of these sounds or words; they are also called Hesitation Devices -

Interjection	Meaning	Use
Uh	Indicates a pause/ need for more time	Wait I know this… uh… is it Ruskin Bond?
Hmm	Thinking/Hesitating about something	Hmm, I’m not sure this colour is the best for this room.
Er	Not knowing what to say	I don’t think…er… wait… let me call my boss.
Um	Pausing or being skeptical	Not that I don’t believe you but, um, you say it’s a ghost?