oh

Oh is an interjection used in English and many other languages to express a wide range of immediate reactions, including surprise, realization, pain, sympathy, or disappointment. It may stand alone as a response or begin a clause, as in “Oh, I didn’t realize.” The meaning is highly dependent on context, intonation, and punctuation.

In English, oh frequently functions as a discourse marker that signals processing of information, softens statements, or introduces a reaction. It can be intensified with adverbs or adjectives: “Oh, that’s wonderful,” “Oh no!” It contrasts with words like “ah” or “wow,” which carry different associations.

Etymology and cross-linguistic use: The form is ancient in many language families and has developed independently as an exclamation. The exact origins are varied and not always documented; similar-sounding exclamations exist in Germanic, Romance, and other language traditions. The letter combination “oh” is simply a conventional spelling for the sound in the Latin alphabet.

In cultural usage, oh appears widely in literature, film dialogue, song lyrics, and online communication as a quick, informal reaction. Its versatility makes it one of the most common and recognizable interjections in English-speaking contexts and a family of related interjections in other languages.

See also: Interjection; Exclamation; O (letter).