Interjections: Definition, List and Examples
An interjection is a word or short phrase that expresses a sudden strong feeling, such as joy, surprise, pain, sorrow or approval. Wow!, Hurray!, Ouch! and Alas! are all interjections. It is one of the eight parts of speech.
An interjection stands apart from the rest of the sentence: it is not connected to it grammatically, and it can usually be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. In writing it is normally followed by an exclamation mark (!) or a comma.
An interjection is a word or phrase that shows a sudden feeling or reaction. It has no grammatical link with the other words in the sentence and is followed by ! (strong feeling) or , (mild feeling).
✅ Hurray! We have won the match.
✅ Ouch! I have burnt my finger.
✅ Alas! The poor man lost everything.
✅ Oh, I did not know that.
Common Interjections by Feeling
The easiest way to learn interjections is to group them by the feeling they show.
| Feeling | Interjections | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Joy | Hurray! Hurrah! Yippee! Yay! | Hurray! The holidays have begun. |
| Surprise | Oh! Wow! Gosh! Whoa! My goodness! | Wow! What a huge cake. |
| Pain | Ouch! Ow! | Ouch! That hurt my foot. |
| Disgust | Ugh! Yuck! Eww! | Yuck! This milk has gone bad. |
| Sorrow | Alas! Oh dear! Oh no! | Oh dear! I have missed the bus. |
| Relief | Phew! Thank goodness! | Phew! I have found my wallet. |
| Approval or praise | Bravo! Well done! Great! Cheers! | Bravo! You played brilliantly. |
| Greeting | Hello! Hi! Hey! Welcome! Goodbye! Bye! | Hello! How are you? |
| Attention | Hey! Listen! Look! Hush! Shh! Psst! | Shh! The baby is sleeping. |
| Hesitation | Um, Uh, Er, Well, Hmm | Well, I am not sure. |
| Realisation | Aha! Eureka! Oh! | Aha! Now I understand the problem. |
Some of these (such as Alas!) sound old-fashioned or literary and are mostly found in stories and poems. In everyday speech people say Oh no! or Oh dear!.
Punctuation with Interjections
Use ! for a strong feeling
When the feeling is strong, put an exclamation mark right after the interjection. The next sentence begins with a capital letter.
✅ Wow! That was an amazing goal.
❌ Wow! that was an amazing goal.
Use a comma for a mild feeling
When the feeling is mild, use a comma. The rest of the sentence then continues without a capital letter (unless it starts with I or a name).
✅ Oh, I forgot my keys.
✅ Well, let us begin.
✅ Hello, Mrs Sharma.
The exclamation mark can also come at the end
For a sentence that is exclaimed as a whole, you can put a single exclamation mark at the end, for example Oh, what a lovely surprise! See End-of-Sentence Punctuation for more.
Do not use many exclamation marks together (Wow!!!). One is enough in good writing.
Interjection or Exclamatory Sentence?
An interjection is a single word or short expression. An exclamatory sentence is a full sentence with a subject and a verb that shows strong feeling. What a beautiful day! and I can’t believe it! are exclamatory sentences, whereas Hurray! is an interjection. Learn more in Kinds of Sentences.
Formal and Informal Use
- Informal: interjections are common in conversation, messages and stories, where they give the speaker's tone and feeling: Yay! I passed.
- Formal writing: reports, essays, applications and official emails seldom use interjections. Say "I was surprised that…" instead of "Wow!".
- Polite words: Hello, Welcome, Thank you and Congratulations are fine in formal situations.
- Mild or strong: Oh dear is mild; Oh no! is stronger. Choose the word that fits the situation, especially in front of teachers, clients or elders.
Common Mistakes
| ❌ Mistake | ✅ Correct |
|---|---|
| Hurray! we won. | Hurray! We won. |
| Oh! , I forgot. | Oh, I forgot. (or: Oh! I forgot.) |
| Ouch, That hurts! | Ouch! That hurts! |
| Using "Wow!" in a formal letter. | Use a plain sentence: "I was pleased to learn…" |
✍️ Quick Practice — Choose the Interjection
Fill each blank with one word from the box (use each once): Hurray, Alas, Ouch, Shh, Phew
- _____! I touched the hot pan.
- _____! We have won the cup.
- _____! The baby is sleeping.
- _____! The old king is dead.
- _____! That was a close call; the car stopped just in time.
Answers: 1. Ouch | 2. Hurray | 3. Shh | 4. Alas | 5. Phew
✍️ Quick Practice — Punctuate the Sentences
- Oh I forgot my keys
- Hurray we won
- Well let us begin
- Ouch that hurt
- Hello how are you
Answers: 1. Oh, I forgot my keys. (or Oh! I forgot my keys.) | 2. Hurray! We won. | 3. Well, let us begin. | 4. Ouch! That hurt. | 5. Hello! How are you? (or Hello, how are you?)
For more questions, take the basic interjections practice test, then the intermediate test, which covers register and context.
Summary
- An interjection is a word or short phrase that expresses a sudden feeling, for example Wow! Ouch! Hurray! Alas!
- It is not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence.
- Use ! after a strong interjection and a capital letter on the next word; use a comma after a mild one.
- Interjections suit conversation, stories and informal messages; avoid them in formal writing.
- An interjection is a word or phrase; an exclamatory sentence is a full sentence with a subject and verb.