eh

eh — interjection

1. a sound made in conversation to show you are surprised, to ask someone to repeat

1.interjectionA2
Definition

a sound made in conversation to show you are surprised, to ask someone to repeat what they said, or to get a reaction from the person you are talking to

Example

Eh? Are you sure the bus goes this way, Lucía?

rising intonation expressing surprise

Eh? Sorry, Adina — the wind was too strong and I missed your name.

asking speaker to repeat

Synonyms
  • huh

    similar sound for expressing surprise or asking for repetition; slightly less polite

  • right?

    more explicit way to check agreement, used in both speech and casual writing

  • hey

    used to get someone's attention rather than to check agreement or show surprise

Usage Note

Used only in informal spoken conversation. The intonation usually rises at the end, like a question. Particularly common in Canadian English as a tag question to check agreement (e.g. 'Nice day, eh?').

Common Mistakes

Eh. What did you say?' (with flat or falling tone, can sound rude).
Eh? What did you say?' (with rising tone, asking for repetition).
The meaning depends strongly on rising intonation.

Synonym discussion

Sense: interjection/1

All four words are used in informal spoken English to get a reaction from a listener, but they differ in function and politeness. 'Eh' is the most neutral — it can express surprise, ask for repetition, or check agreement depending on tone. 'Huh' is closer to 'eh' for surprise or repetition but sounds slightly more casual and can imply you did not understand. 'Right?' is more explicit: it directly asks the listener to confirm, and works in casual writing too ('You live nearby, right?'). 'Hey' is primarily an attention-getter, not a check for agreement or understanding — you use it to start a conversation or interrupt. In daily conversation, a Canadian speaker might use 'eh' three times in a chat ('Cold out, eh? Eh? You said something? Pretty good, eh?'), while an American would rely more on 'right?' and 'huh' for the same range of functions.

eh ↗huh ↗right?hey ↗

Etymology

GermanicEnglish

A natural exclamation of questioning or surprise that has been part of English since the 1500s. It is likely a spontaneous human sound, like the similar 'eh' found in French, Dutch, and many other languages, rather than a word from a specific root.

First known use

1677

1677, in the meaning defined above