Is It Whoa or *Woah? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples

Whoa is an interjection traditionally used to command a horse (and sometimes a person) to slow down or stop. It can also be used to express surprise or shock. As an interjection, whoa is not used in formal or academic writing.

‘Woah’ is more popular in UK English than US English, but it’s not considered an accepted variant of whoa by many dictionaries. In US English, ‘woah’ is still always considered nonstandard.

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Whoa is an interjection

Whoa can be used as a volitive interjection to command an animal (typically a horse) or person to slow down or stop what they’re doing. Whoa is usually followed by an exclamation point to emphasise the intensity of the command or thought.

It can also be used as a cognitive interjection to express surprise or amazement.

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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Frequently asked questions

What punctuation mark is most closely associated with interjections?

Interjections are often followed by exclamation points to emphasise the intensity of an emotion, thought, or demand (e.g., ‘Whoa!’).

An interjection can also be followed by a period or a comma when the emotion or thought being expressed is less intense (e.g., ‘Oh. I didn’t know that’.).

What are some examples of interjections?

An interjection can have different meanings depending on how it is used. Some common interjections, along with an explanation of how they are commonly used, are listed below.

Interjections	Function
Yes, um-hum, indeed, sure	Used to express agreement
Ew, yuck, ugh	Used to express disgust
Alas, damn, darn, dang, blast, shoot	Used to express dissatisfaction
Yay, woo-hoo, nice, yippee	Used to express joy
Whoa, wow	Used to express surprise
Hmm, er, um, well	Used to express uncertainty