To understand just how important interjections are and why you subconsciously use them as much as you do, it’s helpful to know what role they serve. You likely place them into conversations (at a rate of one every 12 seconds or so!) without much thought, even though they are some of the most impactful utterances. But what do they actually do?
What Are Interjections, Anyway?
Interjections are short fragments of speech that, in and of themselves, are separate from any surrounding sentences. They pop up in conversation quickly and require no further context. Some common examples include:
- Oh
- Wow
- Um
- Uh huh
- Hmm
- Aww
Reading through even this simple list, you can likely already conceptualize what these interjections might add to a conversation. “Aww” might make you think of something adorable, or maybe something unfortunate. Despite this, “aww” itself has no meaning as a word. So why do we so seamlessly and frequently utilize these “meaningless” language fragments?
As it turns out, interjections are one of the linchpins that make language function.
The Real Roles of Interjections
Interjections are more than just sounds; they are like an orchestra conductor, signaling when to start and stop, how to change, when to remain quiet, and when to make noise. In conversation, these pieces of language perform three primary, subconscious functions:
As Repair Mechanisms
In linguistics, a repair tool (or repair mechanism) is a means of correcting oneself or another speaker. For instance, you have likely heard someone say something akin to:
“What does your neph- uh… niece want for Christmas?”
The “uh” in this utterance interrupts an incorrect element of the sentence. The speaker mistakenly began to use “nephew” when “niece” was appropriate and was able to use “uh” to repair the error mid-sentence.
This also works for the listener:
“Have you talked to Spencer’s girlfriend in-”
“Uh…?”
“Right; have you talked to Steph?”
It’s likely that the listener is referencing a contextual error in the conversation; it seems that Stephanie and Spencer parted ways, so calling Steph “Spencer’s girlfriend” was a mistake. However, it’s much more palatable for a listener to use an interjection than to directly say, “Did you forget? They broke up.” It’s also faster and allows the conversation to proceed smoothly.
As Continuity Engines
Conversations typically proceed in a turn-taking manner. However, when one person has been speaking for some time, this alternation process can become less clear-cut. Interjections are an essential part of negotiating who gets to speak, who is participating, and whether any adjustments in conversational flow need to be made.
Consider the minute differences an interjection can have in the following scenario:
“The economy has really been unpredictable lately, and I was thinking it might be a good time to lock in a mortgage.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Compare this to:
“The economy has really been unpredictable lately, and I was thinking it might be a good time to lock in a mortgage.”
“Yeah.”
In the first example, the “mm-hmm” sound can be made with the mouth closed, more accurately signaling that the person is listening but does not plan to contribute. In other words, it is tacit permission that the current speaker is welcome to continue.
Conversely, “yeah” is an interjected spoken word, indicating that the listener may wish to step in and add further information (e.g., “Yeah, we got our mortgage, and we’re so relieved we did.”). This subtly asks for permission to pass the conversation to a new speaker, and interjections will continue to appear as unarticulated permission to adjust course, switch speakers, and signal the end of the engagement.
As Illocutionary Signals
In linguistics, an illocutionary act is a form of speech that prompts a response without explicitly stating it. For example, saying, “Wow, it’s chilly in here!” isn’t just a statement; it can be an unspoken request for someone to turn up the heat in the room.
Interjections can serve illocutionary purposes in very simple ways without interrupting a conversation. People use them all the time to facilitate faster discussion, and you’ve likely done so as well (a lot more often than you realize).
“My mom said she saw a moose the other day.”
“Wow!”
“Right? I didn’t think they lived around here.”
The interjection “wow” is certainly a mark of emotional response, but it is also an invitation to continue the story. A lack of an interjected response might leave the speaker believing that the listener is not interested, cutting short their story.
In fact, studies do show that this is exactly what occurs when interjections stop. Groups of participants were asked to participate normally while listening to a story, and they filled the gaps naturally with the standard “uh huhs,” nodding, and similar forms of acknowledgment. However, unbeknownst to the speaker, one group in the study was instructed to count the number of words the speaker uttered that started with the letter T. As a result, they were so focused on that task that they usually forgot to interject.
What happened? The speaker didn’t tell their story as well! Studies such as this demonstrate that interjections are essential for both parties to understand the current progression of the conversation and make adjustments, and this two-way street dictates how the dialogue proceeds. The gradual push and pull of interjected forces is what makes language flow—and it’s why even highly skilled second language speakers can sometimes struggle to sound native in another language.
Do Other Languages Use Interjections?
Of course! Interjections have been found in a huge number of studied languages, and there is no reason to think they don’t exist in ones that haven’t been analyzed yet. When looking at a sample group of 31 languages, every single one had a “huh” equivalent for repairing or creating time to think during an utterance.
Some examples of interjections in other languages include:
- Eeto: “um” (Japanese)
- Nàge: “uh” (Mandarin)
- Quoi: “what!?” (French)
- Allora: “well” (Italian)
- Öö: “um” (Finnish)
- Yaʿni: “like/you know” (Arabic)
No matter which language you speak, the interjections you subconsciously insert have been curated over time to facilitate a smooth conversation. From inviting others to speak to redirecting the flow or even compelling someone to act, interjections are the “meaningless” words that get things done.
