hah

Hah is an interjection in English used to express surprise, triumph, skepticism, or irony. It is a variant spelling of ha and is found in dialogue and narration to convey a speaker's emotional reaction rather than to convey lexical content.

The meaning depends on context and punctuation. "Hah!" with exclamation frequently marks triumph or mockery, while "Hah" without punctuation can signal a moment of realization or doubt; in some cases it can function as a short response to a previous statement. The tone can range from light amusement to scorn.

Etymology and pronunciation. Hah derives from the same root as "ha" and other laugh-related interjections. In phonology, it is not a distinct word with independent meaning; pronunciation varies with dialect, typically realized as /hɑː/ or /hæ/ in English.

Variants and related forms. Related exclamations include "ha," "haha" (laughter), "heh," and "huh." While "ha" and "hah" share the core sense of noticing something, their usage is distinguished by emphasis and the intensity of emotion. In literature and comics, "Hah" is often used to convey a dramatic moment.

See also: interjection, exclamation, laughter, onomatopoeia.