English grammar

What is an interjection? Meaning and examples

An interjection is a word or short phrase that shows a sudden feeling or gets attention, such as wow, ouch, oops or hey. It usually stands apart from the rest of the sentence and has no grammatical link to it, so the sentence still works without it.

Example

Strong and mild

  • Wow! That was fast. (strong feeling)
  • Well, I'm not sure. (mild pause)
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Examples of interjections

The same word can show different feelings, depending on your tone. These are common uses.

PurposeInterjectionsExample
Surprisewow, oh, whoaWhoa! Look at that wave.
Painouch, owOuch! That hurt.
Joyhurray, yayHurray! We won.
Sadness or regretalas, oh noOh no, I missed the bus.
Mistakeoops, whoopsOops, I forgot my keys.
Disgustugh, yuckYuck! This milk is sour.
Getting attentionhey, psstHey! Wait for me.
Hesitationum, er, wellUm, I think so.

How to punctuate an interjection

Strong feeling: use an exclamation mark and start the next sentence with a capital letter: "Wow! That's great news."

Mild feeling: use a comma and carry on with the same sentence: "Oh, I didn't know that."

In the middle of a sentence: place commas on both sides: "It was, alas, too late."

Is an interjection a part of speech?

Yes. Interjections are traditionally listed among the eight parts of speech, with nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. Unlike those, an interjection doesn't connect grammatically to the words around it.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: Wow that's amazing.

    Right: Wow, that's amazing! / Wow! That's amazing.

    Separate the interjection with punctuation.

  • Wrong: Oh! no, I lost it!!!

    Right: Oh no, I lost it!

    Oh no is one expression, and one exclamation mark is enough.

  • Wrong: Alas, the data shows a decline. (in a report)

    Right: The data shows a decline.

    Interjections don't suit formal writing.

Using this in IELTS and PTE

Don't use interjections in IELTS Writing or PTE essays, because they are too informal. In speaking, a natural "well" or "oh" can buy a moment to think, but repeating "um" and "er" can hurt your fluency. An informal IELTS General Training letter may allow a light "Guess what!" to a friend.

5 questions

Exercise

Try each one, then open it to check your answer.

  1. 1. Find the interjection: "Oops, I spilled the water."

    Oops

    It shows a sudden reaction to a mistake.

  2. 2. Punctuate this: "hurray we won"

    Hurray! We won!

    Strong feeling takes an exclamation mark.

  3. 3. Does this suit an essay? "Wow, pollution is rising."

    No.

    Interjections are too informal for essays.

  4. 4. Which feeling does ugh usually show?

    Disgust or annoyance.

    It is a reaction to something unpleasant.

  5. 5. Add commas: "It was alas the last train."

    It was, alas, the last train.

    Commas set it apart mid-sentence.

Frequently asked questions

Are yes and no interjections?+

Many dictionaries and grammars treat yes and no as a separate type of word, though they can work like interjections in speech.

Can an interjection be a full phrase?+

Yes. Oh my goodness and thank goodness are short phrases that work as interjections.

Do interjections always need an exclamation mark?+

No. Mild ones take a comma: "Well, let's begin."

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