# wah

/ˈwɑ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wah
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. crying sound

interjection · CEFR A2

the sound a baby makes when they are crying loudly.

For teachers: an onomatopoeic representation of an infant's cry of distress or hunger.

- The baby went 'wah, wah' all night because he was hungry.
- The infant's rhythmic 'wah' echoed through the nursery, signaling a need for attention that the exhausted parents could no longer ignore.

### 3. guitar sound effect

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Informal

a special sound effect for electric guitars that sounds like a voice saying 'wah'.

For teachers: a musical effect, typically controlled by a foot pedal, that filters the tone of an electric guitar to mimic human vowel sounds.

- The guitarist used a bit of wah during his solo to make it sound more funky.
- He experimented with a vintage wah pedal to achieve that distinctive psychedelic rock tone characteristic of the late sixties.

## Examples

- The guitarist used a wah pedal for the solo.
- He stepped on the wah to give the funk riff that classic crying sound.
- While most associated with 1970s funk and psychedelic rock, the wah effect remains a staple for soloists seeking to add vocal-like expression to their electric guitar phrasing.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.