English Reference
interjection · noun

yep

interj. · n.
US /ˈjɛp/ UK /jˈɛp/ yep

  1. 01 A1 Beginner Informal

    interj.a casual way to say 'yes' when you agree with someone or answer a question.

    interj.an informal affirmative response used to indicate agreement, confirmation, or acceptance.

    Simple

    "Are you coming to the party tonight?" "Yep, I'll be there around eight."

    In context

    When asked if the project would be completed by the end of the week, the lead developer simply replied with a confident "Yep."

    Usage

    Used primarily in spoken English or casual text messaging.

    Teacher's tip

    Learners should be aware that 'yep' ends with a sharp 'p' sound, which makes it sound more final or clipped than 'yeah'.

    Pitfall
    Dear Sir, yep, I received your email. Dear Sir, yes, I received your email.

    Do not use 'yep' in formal writing or professional emails; it is strictly for casual conversation.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    n.the word 'yes' used as a name for an answer.

    n.the utterance of the word 'yep' as a noun phrase representing an affirmative response.

    Simple

    I was hoping for a yep, but she just shook her head.

    In context

    The manager's quick yep was all the permission the team needed to begin the next phase of the rollout.

    Usage

    Often used after 'a' or 'the' to describe a response.

    Teacher's tip

    This noun use is much less common than the interjection and is typically found in narrative storytelling.


Representing yeah pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end. Compare yup, nope, welp, and ope. Compare also German jap (“yep”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Common
Updated