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What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition & Types

What Is an Interjection? | Examples,

Definition & Types
Published on September 29, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on November 16, 2022.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling or to request or demand

something. While interjections are a part of speech, they are not grammatically connected
to other parts of a sentence.

Interjections are common in everyday speech and informal writing. While some
interjections such as “well” and “indeed” are acceptable in formal conversation, it’s best to
avoid interjections in formal or academic writing.

Examples: Interjections in a sentence

Wow! That bird is huge.

Uh-oh. I forgot to get gas.

We’re not lost. We just need to go, um, this way.

Psst, what’s the answer to number four?

 Table of contents

 How are interjections used in sentences?

 Primary interjections
 Secondary interjections
 Volitive interjections
 Emotive interjections
 Cognitive interjections
 Greetings and parting words
 Interjections and punctuation
 Other interesting language articles
 Frequently asked questions

How are interjections used in sentences?

Interjections add meaning to a sentence or context by expressing a feeling, making a
demand, or emphasizing a thought.

Interjections can be either a single word or a phrase, and they can be used on their own or
as part of a sentence.

Examples: Uses of interjections

Phew!

Shoot, I’ve broken a nail.

Oh really? I didn’t know that.

As interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, they can often be

excluded from a sentence without impacting its meaning.

Examples: Sentences with and without interjections

 Oh boy, I’m tired.

 I’m tired.
 Ouch! That hurts!
 That hurts!

Primary interjections
A primary interjection is a word or sound that can only be used as an interjection. Primary
interjections do not have alternative meanings and can’t function as another part of speech
(i.e., noun, verb, or adjective).

Primary interjections are typically just sounds without a clear etymology. As such, while
they sometimes have standard spellings, a single interjection may be written in different
ways (e.g., “um-hum” or “mm-hmm”).

Examples: Primary interjections in a sentence

Ugh! That’s disgusting.

Um-hum. I think that could work.

We won the game. Yippee!

Secondary interjections
A secondary interjection is a word that is typically used as another part of speech (such
as a noun, verb, or adjective) that can also be used as an interjection.

Examples: Secondary interjections in a sentence

Goodness! That was a close one.

Shoot! My flight has been canceled.

Awesome! Do that trick again.

Volitive interjections
A volitive interjection is used to give a command or make a request. For example, the
volitive interjection “shh” or “shush” is used to command someone to be quiet.

Examples: Volitive interjections in a sentence

Shh! I can’t focus when you’re singing.

Psst. Pass me an eraser.

Ahem. Please pay attention.

Emotive interjections
An emotive interjection is used to express an emotion or to indicate a reaction to
something. For example, the emotive interjection “ew” is used to express disgust.

Curse words, also called expletives, are commonly used (in informal contexts) as emotive
interjections to express frustration or anger.

Examples: Emotive interjections in a sentence

Ew. I’m not eating that.

Yay! I’m so excited to see you.

Yum! This apple pie is delicious.

Cognitive interjections
A cognitive interjection is used to express a thought or indicate a thought process. For
example, the cognitive interjection “um” can express confusion or indicate that the speaker
is thinking.

Examples: Cognitive interjections in a sentence

Um, can you explain it once more?

Wow! I wasn’t expecting that.

Eureka! I’ve solved the puzzle.

Greetings and parting words

Greetings and parting words/phrases are interjections used to acknowledge or welcome
someone or to express good wishes at the end of a conversation.

Examples: Greetings and parting words/phrases in a sentence

Hey!

Hello! It’s good to see you.

Bye!

See you soon! Drive safe.

Interjections and punctuation

How an interjection is punctuated depends on the context and the intensity of the emotion
or thought being expressed.

Exclamation points are most commonly used along with interjections to emphasize the
intensity of an emotion, thought, or demand.

When the emotion or thought being expressed is less extreme, an interjection can also be
followed by a period. If an interjection is used to express uncertainty or to ask a question, it
should be followed by a question mark.

Examples: Interjections and punctuation

Oh. I don’t know.

We’ve just won the lottery. Hurray!

Hmm?

When an interjection is used as part of a sentence, it should be set off from the rest of the
sentence using commas.

Examples: Interjections within a sentence

Hmm, how are we going to do this?

It was an interesting lecture, indeed.

The project is, uh, going well.

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, make
sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

 Nouns & pronouns  Verbs  Other

Common nouns Verb tenses Articles

Collective nouns Phrasal verbs Prepositions
Personal pronouns Types of verbs Adjectives
First-person Active vs passive Determiners
pronouns voice Adverbs
Second-person Subject-verb
pronouns agreement

Frequently asked questions

What are the different kinds of interjections? 

What punctuation mark is most closely associated with interjections? 

What are some examples of interjections? 

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article
(APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

This Scribbr article

Ryan, E. (2022, November 16). What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition

& Types. Scribbr. Retrieved November 6, 2023, from Cite this article
https://www.scribbr.com/parts-of-speech/interjections/

Sources

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.).
Oxford University Press.

 Show all sources (3)

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Eoghan Ryan
Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's,
MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students
to improve their research and writing.

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