It can be hard to read tone and intent over text messages, so a quick ecphonesis can help you communicate genuine excitement. The exclamation point is a helpful way to imply ecphonesis, but it might also come across through capitalized letters and dramatic wording. And it’s not just a modern invention for text messaging. Shakespeare loved a good ecphonesis — “Hamlet” is full of exclamations such as, “O, woe!” or “Alas!” The word comes from the Greek “ekphōnein,” meaning “to cry out.”