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Whoa vs Whoo - What's the difference?

whoa | whoo |

As interjections the difference between whoa and whoo

is that whoa is stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down while whoo is an expression of delight.

As a verb whoo is

to make a whoo sound, of delight, whistling, or of an owl etc.

whoa

English

Alternative forms

* woah * whoah

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof ); calm down; slow down.
    • Whoa , Nelly!
  • An expression of surprise.
    • Whoa , are you serious?

    Usage notes

    Another alternate spelling from woa, woah (c. 1856), is common.

    Antonyms

    * giddyup, giddy-up, giddap

    References

    * Whoa! Woah?! Whoah. How an old exclamation became the Internet’s most variously spelled word., Matthew J.X. Malady, Slate English terms with homophones

    whoo

    English

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • An expression of delight.
  • The wailing cry of a ghost.
  • * 1949 , Robertson Davies, The table talk of Samuel Marchbanks
    • "You are mistaken; I am a ghost; whoo !" said I, choking back my rage.
  • * 1996 , R A Noonan, Wild ghost chase
    • Then he held up his hands and let out a weak ghost-howl. "Whoo ?" he moaned, in a tiny voice.
  • The cry of an owl

    • Synonyms

    * (expression of delight) wahoo, whoopee, yay, yippee * (cry of an owl) tuwhit tuwhoo

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a whoo sound, of delight, whistling, or of an owl etc.
  • * 1891 , (Thomas Hardy), (w, Tess of the d'Urbervilles) , Part 6:
  • *:"Upon my honour!" cried he, "there was never before such a beautiful thing in Nature or Art as you look, 'Cousin' Tess ('Cousin' had a faint ring of mockery). I have been watching you from over the wall—sitting like Im-patience on a monument, and pouting up that pretty red mouth to whistling shape, and whooing' and ' whooing , and privately swearing, and never being able to produce a note. Why, you are quite cross because you can't do it."