Quick Answer
English question words (question words or wh-words): who, what, when, where, why, how, which, whose, whom (formal). In English, they usually go at the beginning of the sentence. “How” is especially rich in combinations: how much, how many, how long, how often.
English is the most widely learned second language in the world. According to Ethnologue 2024, nearly 1.5 billion people use it as a first or second language. Learning question words is one of the first and most important steps on this path. Without them, you cannot ask for information, hold a conversation, or understand what others ask you.
In English, question words are called wh-words or question words. Most start with wh (who, what, when, where, why, which, whose, whom), except how, which also belongs to this group by sound and function. You need to learn nine basic words, but how forms many combinations. Each combination lets you ask a specific kind of question.
"The interrogative system of a language is the primary tool for learning, it is through questions that children acquire their mother tongue, and through questions that adult learners unlock the meaning of a new language."
(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge University Press, 2019)
The basic structure of a question with a question word in English is: [question word] + [auxiliary verb] + [subject] + [main verb]. In English, the auxiliary verb (do, does, did, is, are, will) is required. The only exception is when the question word is the subject (Who called?).
Overview of all question words
💡 The pronunciation trap: silent 'wh'
In English, the wh spelling is not fully consistent, and it surprises many learners. In most wh- words, you pronounce the w sound and the h is silent: what → /wʌt/, where → /wɛr/. But who → /huː/ has a silent w, and only the h sound remains. So who and whose are the exceptions: the w is silent. In all other cases (what, when, where, why, which), the w is pronounced and the h is silent.
Each question word in detail
WHO, who?
who (/huː/) asks about people. It is the one question word where English word order can be special. If who is the subject (the person you ask about does the action), you do not need an auxiliary verb.
- Who is that?, Who is that?
- Who called you?, Who called you?
- Who are you?, Who are you?
- Who lives here?, Who lives here?
If who is the object (not the subject), the auxiliary verb appears: Who did you call? In informal English, people also say this instead of whom. In everyday speech, most people use who almost all the time.
WHAT, what?
what (/wʌt/) asks about things, situations, and actions. It is one of the most common question words.
- What is this?, What is this?
- What do you do?, What do you do? (Meaning: What is your job?)
- What time is it?, What time is it?
- What did you say?, What did you say?
- What's your name?, What's your name?
💡 What's up?, The most common greeting question
What's up? (/wʌts ʌp/) is one of the most informal and most common English greeting questions. It means something like “What’s going on?” or “What’s new?” People usually answer Not much, Not a lot, or Everything's good. Do not try to give a detailed answer. It is a polite formula, not a real question.
WHEN, when?
when (/wɛn/) asks about time: when something happened or will happen.
- When is your birthday?, When is your birthday?
- When did you arrive?, When did you arrive?
- When will the meeting start?, When will the meeting start?
- When does the shop open?, When does the shop open?
People usually answer a when question with a time expression: yesterday, at 3 o'clock, next Monday, in two weeks.
WHERE, where?
where (/wɛr/) asks about place.
- Where are you?, Where are you?
- Where do you live?, Where do you live?
- Where are you going?, Where are you going?
- Where are you from?, Where are you from?
Where are you from? is one of the most common icebreaker questions in English. You hear it in many first-meeting situations.
WHY, why?
why (/waɪ/) asks about reasons.
- Why are you laughing?, Why are you laughing?
- Why did she leave?, Why did she leave?
- Why is the sky blue?, Why is the sky blue?
- Why not?, Why not?
Why not? also works as a complete question on its own. In English, it is a common way to ask what the problem is, or to show agreement: “Shall we go to the cinema?", “Why not!"
HOW, how?
how (/haʊ/) asks about manner and quality. It is the most flexible question word. It works on its own, and it also combines with other words to form many more questions. The next section explains this in more detail.
- How are you?, How are you?
- How does this work?, How does this work?
- How do you spell that?, How do you spell that?
- How old are you?, How old are you?
HOW combinations
how forms especially rich combinations in English. Each one is a question expression with its own meaning. You need them in everyday English.
The difference between how much and how many is one of the first grammar points every English learner meets. The rule is simple. If the noun is countable (it has singular and plural forms: apple/apples, person/people), use how many. If it is uncountable (no plural form: water, money, information), use how much.
| Countable (how many) | Uncountable (how much) |
|---|---|
| How many apples? (How many apples?) | How much water? (How much water?) |
| How many people? (How many people?) | How much money? (How much money?) |
| How many days? (How many days?) | How much time? (How much time?) |
| How many mistakes? (How many mistakes?) | How much sugar? (How much sugar?) |
how long is especially useful. It can refer to time (How long does the flight take?) and physical length (How long is the bridge?). how soon asks about how near something is in time. You often hear it with future plans: How soon can you finish this?
WHAT vs. WHICH, when do you use which?
💡 What = open, Which = limited set
The difference between what and which depends on how many possible answers there are. If the set of options is unlimited or not defined in advance, what is the right choice. If the speaker expects an answer from a specific, limited set, which is more precise.
- What is your favorite color?, What is your favorite color? (Any color is possible.)
- Which color do you prefer, red or blue?, Which do you prefer, red or blue? (Two defined options.)
- What would you like to drink?, What would you like to drink? (A full menu.)
- Which drink would you like, coffee or tea?, Which would you like, coffee or tea? (Two specific options.)
which can also come before a noun as a determiner: Which book did you read? This suggests a known set of books. what can also come before a noun: What book are you reading? This is more open and does not assume a defined set.
WHO vs. WHOM, in formal and informal English
🌍 'Whom' is disappearing from informal English
whom (/huːm/) is the object form of who. You should use it when the person is not the subject, but the object, or the object of a preposition. Formally: To whom did you speak?, Whom did you invite?.
In modern everyday English, whom has almost disappeared from informal speech. People usually use who instead: Who did you speak to? and Who did you invite? Both are fully acceptable in daily communication. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that whom now mainly survives in formal writing, legal language, and official texts.
If you are not sure: in informal situations, you can always say who. You should still recognize whom when you see it in formal text.
The most common whom structure you may see is preposition + whom. In formal English, the preposition moves to the front before whom: To whom it may concern (a formal opening in letters and official documents), With whom are you traveling? Informally, people rearrange these: Who are you traveling with?
Question structure summary
| Question word | Question structure | Example sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | who + be/do + subject | Who is she? | Who is she? |
| what | what + do/does/did + subject | What do you want? | What do you want? |
| when | when + auxiliary + subject | When did it happen? | When did it happen? |
| where | where + auxiliary + subject | Where are you going? | Where are you going? |
| why | why + auxiliary + subject | Why did you leave? | Why did you leave? |
| how | how + auxiliary + subject | How did you find it? | How did you find it? |
| which | which + noun + auxiliary | Which way is faster? | Which way is faster? |
| whose | whose + noun + be | Whose bag is this? | Whose bag is this? |
| whom | whom / who + auxiliary | Who(m) did you call? | Who(m) did you call? |
| how much | how much + uncountable | How much does it cost? | How much does it cost? |
| how many | how many + plural noun | How many are left? | How many are left? |
| how long | how long + auxiliary | How long will it take? | How long will it take? |
⚠️ The word order trap: do not translate word-for-word
In English, the question word almost always goes at the start of the sentence. The auxiliary verb is required, except when the question word is the subject. Two typical mistakes are: „Where you live?" (correct: Where do you live?) and „What you want?" (correct: What do you want?). Missing do/does/did is one of the most common word order errors.
Question words in idiomatic expressions
English question words go far beyond literal questions. Many everyday idioms use them.
How come? is one of the most common informal question word combinations in English. It means the same as Why?, but it sounds much more casual: How come you didn't call? compared to the more formal Why didn't you call? The British Council notes that How come? is especially popular in American English, but it is also common in British English.
Why on earth? and What on earth? add emotional emphasis. Adding on earth makes the question much stronger: What on earth are you doing? You can also say Why in the world? with the same meaning.
🌍 Questions in English: direct, but not intrusive
In English-speaking culture, especially in British English, asking questions follows strong politeness norms. Direct personal questions about age, salary, religion, or political views are usually best avoided with strangers or new acquaintances. Why? on its own can sometimes sound challenging. Because of this, British speakers often use softer forms like Could I ask why...? or Do you mind if I ask...?. Americans are usually more direct, but personal finance questions (salary, house price) are also taboo there with people who are not close friends.
Practice with real English content
The most effective way to master question words is to hear them in real English materials. In films and series, question words come with natural rhythm and intonation. That is how they sound in everyday communication. Check our guide to the best English movies for language learners, where we recommend titles that help you understand natural English dialogue.
Wordy lets you learn English from real content with interactive subtitles. When a question word appears in dialogue, you can tap it. You immediately see pronunciation, meaning, common combinations, and context. This works much better than memorizing word lists. Question words you hear in context stick, and you also pick up intonation naturally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the question words in English?
What is the difference between “who” and “whom” in English?
What is the difference between “how much” and “how many”?
How do you form wh-questions in English?
What is the difference between “what” and “which” in English?
Sources & References
- Crystal, David (2019). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2026). merriam-webster.com.
- Oxford English Dictionary (2025). oed.com.
- British Council (2023). English Language Teaching: Global Research Report.
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