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Wow vs Whoa - What's the difference?

wow | whoa |

As interjections the difference between whoa and wow

is that whoa is stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down while wow is an indication of excitement or surprise.

As a verb wow is

to amaze or awe.

As a noun wow is

an exceptionally surprising or unbelievable fact.

wow

English

(wikipedia wow)

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • An indication of excitement or surprise.
  • * 1513 , (Gavin Douglas), Virgil Æneid (translation) vi. Prol. 19 :
    • Out on thir wanderand spiritis, wow! thow cryis.
  • An expression of amazement or awe.
    • Wow! How do they do that?
  • Used sarcastically to express disapproval of something.
    • Wow... I can't believe you would do such a thing.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * wowzer, wowser * wowsers * wowzah

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (informal) To amaze or awe.
    • He really wowed the audience.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) An exceptionally surprising or unbelievable fact.
    • He did? That's a wow !
  • A relatively slow form of flutter (pitch variation) which can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders.

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    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