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

Whoa is an interjection used to express shock or surprise. It was traditionally used to command a horse or person to stop or slow down. Like other interjections, whoa should be avoided in professional communication and academic writing.

The use of the variant spelling woah is more common in UK English than US English, but in both cases, it’s not considered standard. Many dictionaries and other language authorities do not accept this spelling at all.

How to use whoa in a sentence

Whoa is often used as a cognitive interjection to express amazement, shock, or surprise. It’s often followed by an exclamation mark but may also be followed by a comma.

It can also be used as a volitive interjection to command a person or horse (or other animal) to stop or slow down.

Other interesting articles

If you want to know more about job applications, research, or language, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Frequently asked questions about whoa or woah

How do you spell whoa?

Whoa and woah are often confused, but whoa is the correct spelling. It is used as an interjection to express alarm or surprise, or to attract attention. “Woah” is a spelling variant that’s considered wrong by most language authorities.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker will fix this and other common mistakes automatically.

What punctuation mark is most closely associated with interjections?

An interjection is typically followed by an exclamation point. It emphasizes the urgency or intensity of a thought, emotion, or request. An example of an interjection is “whoa!”

You use a comma or period if the expressed emotion is not supposed to come across as intense (e.g., “Oh. I must have missed that.”).

The QuillBot Grammar Checker automatically fixes punctuation mistakes for free!