The oed lists woah as a variant of woa which is a variant of whoa i don't remember ever seeing the woah spelling (i'd want to pronounce it as two syllables: Wo-ah, like noah) before moving to england … Often, wow is positive and whoa is negative.

Some dictionaries define whoa as stop! While some define it as an expression of surprise/astonishment. Is there such a word as whoa, where did it originate from and what is its actual meaning? How do i spell the word woah as used in surprise or excitement? Is it similar to wow except for the last w?

Is it similar to wow except for the last w?