How vs. What — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 14, 2024
"How" examines methods, means, or manner, focusing on the process or condition, while "what" identifies objects, concepts, or information, inquiring about the nature or identity.
Difference Between How and What
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"How" is used to ask about the way something is done or the manner in which it occurs, exploring the process or steps involved, whereas "what" is used to inquire about the nature, identity, or content of something, focusing on defining or describing it.
When asking about procedures or techniques, "how" is appropriate, such as in "How do you bake a cake?", while "what" is suitable for specifying things, like in "What ingredients do you need for the cake?".
"How" often relates to descriptions of conditions or states, for example, "How are you feeling?", on the other hand, "what" might be used to ask about specific information or objects, such as "What is your favorite book?".
In instructional settings, "how" questions can lead to explanations about methods or functioning, like "How does the engine work?", whereas "what" questions might seek factual information or clarification, like "What parts are needed for the engine?".
While "how" can be used to ask about the quality or degree, such as "How tall is the building?", "what" is more about the entity itself, asking something like "What is the tallest building in the world?".
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Inquires about manner, condition, or method.
Asks about identity, nature, or information.
Example Usage
How do you solve this problem?
What is the problem?
Focus
Process, method, or condition
Identity, definition, or clarification
Common Questions
How can it be done? How is it made?
What is it? What does it mean?
Associated with
Techniques, procedures, conditions
Objects, concepts, factual data
Compare with Definitions
How
Used to ask about the method or manner.
How do you make coffee?
What
Asks for clarification or definition.
What does 'antidisestablishmentarianism' mean?
How
Used to question capability or possibility.
How can we improve this design?
What
Requests specific examples or instances.
What are some consequences of global warming?
How
Inquires about condition or state.
How was the weather during your trip?
What
Used to identify or specify something.
What type of car do you drive?
How
Requests information on the process.
How does this machine operate?
What
Inquires about contents or constituents.
What ingredients do I need for a cake?
How
Asks about degree or extent.
How far is it from here to the airport?
What
Queries about choices or preferences.
What is your favorite movie?
How
In what manner or way; by what means
How does this machine work?.
What
Asking for information specifying something
What is your name?
I'm not sure what you mean
How
In what state or condition
How is she today?.
What
The thing or things that (used in specifying something)
What we need is a commitment
How
To what extent, amount, or degree
How bad was it?.
What
(in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable
What some people do for a crust!
How
For what reason or purpose; why
How is it that he left early?.
What
Asking for information specifying something
Do you know what excuse he gave?
What time is it?
How
With what meaning
How should I take that remark?.
What
(referring to the whole of an amount) whatever
He had been robbed of what little money he had
How
By what name
How is she called?.
What
(in exclamations) how great or remarkable
What a fool she was
What luck!
How
By what measure; in what units
How do you sell this corn?.
What
To what extent?
What does it matter?
How
What. Usually used in requesting that something be said again
How's that again?.
What
Used to indicate an estimate or approximation
See you, what, about four?
How
Used as an intensive
How we laughed!.
What
Used for emphasis or to invite agreement
Pretty poor show, what?
How
The manner or way in which
Forgot how it was done.
What
Which one or ones of several or many
What college are you attending? You should know what musical that song is from.
How
That
I told them how I had once been bitten by a snake.
What
Whatever
They soon repaired what damage had been done.
How
In whatever way or manner; however
Cook it how you please.
What
How great; how astonishing
What a fool!.
How
A manner or method of doing something
"The how of research is generated by the why of the world" (Frederick Turner).
What
How much; in what respect; how
What does it matter?.
How
To what degree or extent.
How often do you practice?
The gauge indicated how hot the oven was.
What
That
I don't know but what I'll go.
How
In what manner:
What
Used to express surprise, incredulity, or other strong and sudden excitement.
How
By what means.
How do you solve this puzzle?
How else can we get this finished?
She showed him how to do it.
What
Chiefly British Used as a tag question, often to solicit agreement.
How
With overtones of for what reason.}}
How should I know whether he likes raisins or not? Ask him!
What
(interrogative) Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
What colour are you going to use?
What time is it?
What kind of car is that?
How
In what form, shape, measure, quantity, etc.
What
(relative) Which; the ... that.
I know what colour I am going to use.
That depends on what answer is received.
How
With what meaning or effect.
How the stock market interprets events has real consequences.
What
(relative) Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.
He seems to have lost what sense he had.
What money I earn is soon spent.
How
By what title or what name.
What
Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.
This shows what beauty there is in nature.
You know what nonsense she talks.
I found out what a liar he is.
How
At what price, for what amount (of money).
What
Used to form exclamations.
What nonsense!
Wow! What a speech.
What some lovely weather we've been having!
What beautiful children you have.
With what passion she sings!
How
In what state or condition.
How are you?
How was your vacation?
What
(interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
What is your name?
Ask them what they want.
How
Used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings in an exclamation.
How very interesting!
How wonderful it was to receive your invitation.
What
(fused relative) That which; those that; the thing(s) that.
He knows what he wants.
What is amazing is his boundless energy.
And, what's even worse, I have to work on Sunday too.
How
The manner or way in which.
I remember how I solved this puzzle.
What
(fused relative) Anything that; all that; whatever.
I will do what I can to help you.
What is mine is yours.
How
In any way in which; in whatever way; however.
People should be free to live how they want.
What
That; which; who.
'Ere! There's that bloke what I saw earlier!
How
That, the fact that.
She told me how her father was a doctor.
What
(interrogative) In what way; to what extent.
What does it matter?
What do you care?
How
The means by which something is accomplished.
I am not interested in the why, but in the how.
What
Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.
How
(dialectal) An artificial barrow or tumulus.
What
An expression of surprise or disbelief.
What! That’s amazing!
How
(dialectal) A small hill in northern England. (Usage preserved mainly in place names.)
What
What do you want? An abrupt, usually unfriendly enquiry as to what a person desires.
What? I'm busy.
How
A greeting, used in representations of Native American speech.
What
Clipping of what do you say? Used as a type of tag question to emphasise a statement and invite agreement, often rhetorically.
It’s a nice day, what?
How
In what manner or way; by what means or process.
How can a man be born when he is old?
What
What did you say? I beg your pardon?
— Could I have some of those aarrrrrr mmmm ...
— What?
— What?
How
To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by what measure or quality.
O, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
By how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea, so much they would impair the fertility, and fountains, and rivers of the earth.
What
Indicating a guess or approximation, or a pause to try to recall information.
I must have been, what, about five years old.
How
For what reason; from what cause.
How now, my love! why is your cheek so pale?
What
Something; thing; stuff.
How
In what state, condition, or plight.
How, and with what reproach, shall I return?
What
(countable) The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
How
By what name, designation, or title.
How art thou called?
What
(countable) Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
How
At what price; how dear.
How a score of ewes now?
Let me beg you - don't say "How?" for "What?"
What
As an interrogative pronoun, used in asking questions regarding either persons or things; as, what is this? what did you say? what poem is this? what child is lost?
What see'st thou in the ground?
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
How
To what extent or amount or degree;
How tall is she?
What
As an exclamatory word: - (a) Used absolutely or independently; - often with a question following.
What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
How
In what way or manner or by what means (`however' is sometimes used as an intensive form of `how');
How did you catch the snake?
He told us how he did it
However did you get here so soon?
What
Used adjectively, meaning how remarkable, or how great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what courage!
What a piece of work is man!
O what a riddle of absurdity!
What
As a relative pronoun
What
Sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy boys!
What partial judges are our love and hate!
What
Used substantively with the antecedent suppressed, equivalent to that which, or those [persons] who, or those [things] which; - called a compound relative.
With joy beyond what victory bestows.
I'm thinking Captain Lawton will count the noses of what are left before they see their whaleboats.
What followed was in perfect harmony with this beginning.
I know well . . . how little you will be disposed to criticise what comes to you from me.
What
Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever; - used indefinitely.
Whether it were the shortness of his foresight, the strength of his will, . . . or what it was.
What
Used adjectively, equivalent to the . . . which; the sort or kind of . . . which; rarely, the . . . on, or at, which.
See what natures accompany what colors.
To restrain what power either the devil or any earthly enemy hath to work us woe.
We know what master laid thy keel,What workmen wrought thy ribs of steel.
What
Used adverbially, in part; partly; somewhat; - with a following preposition, especially, with, and commonly with repetition.
What for lust [pleasure] and what for lore.
Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom shrunk.
The year before he had so used the matter that what by force, what by policy, he had taken from the Christians above thirty small castles.
What time the morn mysterious visions brings.
What
Used adverbially in a sense corresponding to the adjectival use; as, he picked what good fruit he saw.
What
Why? For what purpose? On what account?
What should I tell the answer of the knight.
But what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates? What do I pick up so thriftily their scatterings and diminishings of the meaner subject?
What
Something; thing; stuff.
And gave him for to feed,Such homely what as serves the simple lown.
Common Curiosities
What is the primary use of 'how' in a question?
'How' is primarily used to inquire about the manner, method, or condition in which something is done or exists.
What types of answers does a 'what' question expect?
'What' questions typically expect definitions, clarifications, or specific information as answers.
What distinguishes 'how' questions in educational contexts?
In educational contexts, 'how' questions usually require explanations of theories, methods, or processes.
What is an example of 'how' being used in everyday conversation?
An everyday example is asking, "How do you get to the office from here?"
Can 'what' be used to ask about feelings or emotions?
'What' can ask about feelings indirectly, like "What are you feeling?", but it's more common to use 'how' for emotional inquiries.
Is 'how' always related to processes?
Mostly, yes. 'How' inquires about processes, conditions, or methods, though it can also ask about degree.
How do cultural differences impact the use of 'how' and 'what'?
Cultural differences might affect the frequency and context of these questions, depending on formality and directness norms.
How does the use of 'what' influence the type of response?
Using 'what' often leads to factual or specific answers, focusing the response on defining or identifying elements.
How do 'how' questions differ from 'why' questions?
'How' questions focus on the method or process, while 'why' questions seek reasons or causes.
Can 'what' and 'how' be used in the same question?
Yes, they can be combined for detailed inquiries, e.g., "What process do you follow and how do you ensure quality?"
Can 'what' inquire about quantities?
Yes, 'what' can ask about quantities when framed like, "What amount of sugar do you need?"
What are typical 'what' questions in a survey?
Typical survey questions using 'what' might include "What is your age?" or "What is your employment status?"
What role does 'what' play in technological contexts?
In technology, 'what' often queries about systems, functions, or requirements, like "What are the system specifications?"
How does one decide whether to use 'how' or 'what' in a question?
The choice depends on whether the interest lies in the process or the specific information about an object or concept.
How is 'how' used in professional settings?
In professional settings, 'how' often relates to procedural or operational queries, such as "How do we implement this strategy?"
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
