what vs which

what vs which
  If you are trying to make a choice, what is used to ask when there are an unknown number or infinite possibilities for an answer. You know that there are many, many ways that exist to address your question, and you make - from all the possibilities, and you might not even know about some of them - the best choice.
  For example: "What movie did you go to see?"
  Which is used if you are choosing between a more limited number of items, already defined, like this:
  For example: "Which shoes should I wear with this dress-my blue ones or my black ones?"
  You can use which when you have a very small or limited field to choose from. Certainly use which, not what, when there are only two choices, or if both speaker and listener can visualize all the items under consideration:
  For example: "Which foot did you break?"
  Often which or what can be used for several choices, depending on what is in the speaker's mind:
  For example:-
  a - "Which bus goes into the centre?"
  b - "What bus shall I take?"
  Both sentences are fine. The speaker is probably thinking about fewer buses in sentence (a) than in sentence (b).
  See that vs who, that vs which

English dictionary of common mistakes and confusing words. 2014.

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  • what vs which —   If you are trying to make a choice, what is used to ask when there are an unknown number or infinite possibilities for an answer. You know that there are many, many ways that exist to address your question, and you make from all the… …   English dictionary of common mistakes and confusing words

  • what — 1. general. As a relative pronoun, what is an especially complex word because it can be either singular or plural and can refer both to words that have gone before and to words that come later in the sentence. In general it stands for a group of… …   Modern English usage

  • which — [hwich, wich] pron. [ME whiche < OE hwylc, hwelc, for * hwa lic, lit., who like (akin to Goth hwileiks, OHG hwelīh, Ger welch): see WHO & LY1] 1. what one (or ones) of the number of persons, things, or events mentioned or implied? [which of… …   English World dictionary

  • what\ is\ what — • what is what • what s what n. phr. informal 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can t tell what is what. 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important …   Словарь американских идиом

  • what's\ what — • what is what • what s what n. phr. informal 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can t tell what is what. 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important …   Словарь американских идиом

  • which — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, of what kind, which, from Old English hwilc; akin to Old High German wilīh of what kind, which, Old English hwā who, gelīk like more at who, like Date: before 12th century 1. being what one or ones out of a …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • which — /hwich, wich/, pron. 1. what one?: Which of these do you want? Which do you want? 2. whichever: Choose which appeals to you. 3. (used relatively in restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses to represent a specified antecedent): The book, which I… …   Universalium

  • which — [[t](h)wɪtʃ, wɪtʃ[/t]] pron. 1) fun what one?: Which of these do you want? Which do you want?[/ex] 2) fun whichever: Choose which appeals to you[/ex] 3) fun (used relatively in restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses to represent a specified… …   From formal English to slang

  • what's what — or[what is what] {n. phr.}, {informal} 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. * /The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can t tell what is what./ 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • what's what — or[what is what] {n. phr.}, {informal} 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. * /The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can t tell what is what./ 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important… …   Dictionary of American idioms

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