Using Interjections to Add Emotion

Are you looking for some way to show quick emotion in English? Interjections are perfect for that. Interjections are one of the 8 parts of speech and they’re perfect for giving your opinion without stopping the other person from saying what they want to. Interjections are a great way to respond to someone when they are talking. They are also a great way to add drama to what you’re saying.

Interjections often end in an exclamation point, because of their emotive nature. However, they are not written out as much as they are spoken.

Here is a list of interjections along with the emotion that you are conveying when you say them.

Ack – disgust, indiference

Agreed agreement

Ah – relief, agreement, understanding

Aha – surprise, realization

Ahem – impatience, desire to get attention

Amen agreement

Argh – frustration, anger

Aw – sympathy

Bah – laughter, mocking

Blah – boredom 

Blech – annoyance, sickness

Boo desire to scare someone

Boo-hoo – mocking another person for complaining 

Boo-ya – victory, arrogance

Brr coldness 

D’oh – self-deprication

Duh – mocking another person for being slow to understand something

Eek – surprise, fear

Eh indifference

Er – needing more time, awkwardness

Ew – disgust

Geez annoyance

Gosh annoyance, overwhelmedness, sympathy 

Ha – laughter, joy

Hey – surprise, getting attention

Hiss – disapproval

Hm – consideration, thought

Hmph – annoyance

Ho-hum – boredome, indifference

Hubba-hubba – sexual attraction

Huh – confusion, disbelief

Hooray excitement, support, encouragement

Ick – disgust

Man seriousness, sympathy

Mmm pleasure, deliciousness 

Mwah – kissing

Oh – surprise, understanding

Okay agreement, subject change

Ooh – admiration, interest

Oops – error, fault

Ouch – pain

Pfft – annoyance, dismissal

Phew relief, tiredness 

Psst – gaining attention

Shh – desire for silence

Tsk-tsk – scolding, shame

Ugh – disgust

Uh – uncertainty, stalling

Uh-huh – agreement

Uh-oh – concern, confusion

Uh-uh – refusal

Um – stalling for time

Well stalling for time

Whee – excitement, delight

Whew – relief

Whoa – surprise, amazement

Whoops admission of error

Woo-hoo – excitement

Wow – surprise, excitement 

Yay – cheering, encouragement, excitement

Yikes – fear, concern

Yuck – disgust

Yum deliciousness 

To recap, interjections are one of the 8 parts of speech and they’re perfect for giving your opinion without stopping the other person from saying what they want to. Interjections are a great way to respond to someone when they are talking.

Have you ever used an interjection when speaking in English? Which one did you use and what was the situation? Comment below!