To be honest, I can’t remember when this word confusion if vs whether popped up. And I was curious anyway.
It turns out that in some situations, if and whether are interchangeable. Of c-o-u-r-s-e they are, this is English. Oy.
I’ll see if he’s left yet.
I’ll see whether he’s left yet.
NOTE: Whether is a more formal expression and better used in writing.
If is emotional, expressing doubt. It also introduces a conditional clause, an if this happens, then that follows.
“Tell me if you’re going to be in town next week” could be strictly interpreted as “you need not reply if you are not going to be in town”.
Whether is yes or no, expressing an alternative or possibility. Are you going to do this or that?
“Tell me whether you’re going to be in town next week’” clearly means “a reply is desired one way or the other”.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Conditional Clause“, a.k.a. the If-Then Statement, and/or “Weather vs Wether vs Whether“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| If | Whether |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Abbreviation; Conjunction; Noun
Plural for the noun: ifs |
Conjunction; Pronoun |
| Abbreviation: [Radio] Intermediate frequency Conjunction:
Despite the possibility that
[Often used in indirect questions] Whether [With modal] Expressing a polite request Expressing an opinion Expressing surprise or regret [With implied reservation] And perhaps not
Noun:
A condition, requirement, or stipulation |
Conjunction: whether or no is a common phrase used to indicate choices or possibilities Expressing a doubt or choice between alternatives Or is usually in there somewhere Expressing an inquiry or investigation (usually through an indirect question) [Archaic] Used to introduce a question presenting alternatives, usually with the correlative or Pronoun: |
| Examples: | |
| Abbreviation: IF moves high frequency signals to lower frequencies for easier amplification and filtering. Okay drivers, you’ll want a radar receiver that uses IF with a value between 30 and 75 megahertz. “IF circuitry can be incorporated into both transmitters and receivers, though the benefits of IF techniques are more relevant to receivers” (Benefits). Conjunction: If you like, I’ll put in a word for you. If you had stayed, this would never have happened. If I go out, she gets nasty. If it takes me seven years, I shall do it. He asked if we would like some coffee. See if you can track it down. If you wouldn’t mind giving him a message? If I could trouble you for your names? That’s an awfully long walk, if you don’t mind my saying so. If you ask me, he’s in love. Well, if it isn’t Frank! If I could just be left alone. The new leaders have little if any control. If there was any weakness, it was naiveté. So what if he did? She was honest, if a little brutal. Noun: There are so many ifs and buts in the policy. There are too many ifs in his agreement. |
Conjunction: It matters little whether we go or stay. Whether we go or whether we stay, the result is the same. See whether or not she has come. I doubt whether we can do any better. The only issue arising would be whether or no the publication was defamatory. Pronoun: “They’ve only been married a very few weeks, whether or no.” – Thomas Hardy “. . . we did not indeed know where it was, and so we might get a great deal, or a little, we did not know whether” (Defoe). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: iffier, iffiest, iffy | |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English gif is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch of and the German ob. | Old English hwæther, hwether is of Germanic origin and related to the German weder meaning neither. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Building Your Website, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Marketing Help & Resources, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, and/or Writing Ideas and Resources.
Resources for If versus Whether
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Apple Dictionary.com
“The Benefits of an Intermediate Frequency in RF Systems.” All About Circuits. n.d. Accessed 12 Oct 2024. <https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/radio-frequency-analysis-design/selected-topics/the-benefits-of-an-intermediate-frequency-in-rf-systems/>. Article.
Defoe, Daniel. The Life, Adventures & Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton. Originally published 1720. 2012. Ebook.
Dictionary.com: whether
The Free Dictionary: whether
Merriam-Webster: whether
Pinterest Photo Credits
Hiking Trails, Albania, is Petrit Bejdoni‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
