✏️ Jump to Quick Practice
When it comes to who and whom, most English speakers just use who. Even in more formal contexts, where traditional grammar rules usually hold out the longest, whom is a rare sight.
Grammatically speaking, though, they are two distinct words with different roles entirely.
If you are unsure of the difference, this page is for you.
The Pronoun Test
In a nutshell, the difference between who and whom is as follows:
- who is used for the person doing something (who is the subject)
- whom is used for the person something is done to (whom is the object)
The easiest way to know whether to use who or whom is to apply the pronoun test. In other words, try answering the question with he, she, him, or her.
– If he or she fits naturally, use who. If him or her fits naturally, use whom.
For example:
- _____ called?
Answer with he or him:
- He called. ✅
- Him called. ❌
Here, he fits naturally, so we use who.
✅ – Who called?
❌ – Whom called?
Now let’s test whom:
- _____ did you call?
Answer with he or him:
- You called him. ✅
- You called he. ❌
Him fits naturally, so we use whom.
✅ – Whom did you call?
❌ – Who did you call?
There is a handy way to remember this process: both him and whom end in m.
Whom in Context
As mentioned above, whom is rarely used or heard in everyday conversation.
Where you are most likely to encounter it is in professional and formal correspondence, scripted media, and traditional expressions.
Perhaps the most well-known example is:
- To whom it may concern.
This is a standard opening used in formal letters and emails where the recipient is unknown or unspecified.
We can also apply the pronoun test here:
✅ – It may concern him/her.
❌ – It may concern he/she.
Other examples of whom in action:
- “Whom. That’s right.” – Joey Tribbiani [Friends, 1994]
- The person whom you need to speak to is unavailable.
- The suspect whom police arrested in connection with the incident has been released without charge.
- Socrates, whom many regard as the founder of Western philosophy, never wrote down a single word himself.
Quick Practice – Who vs. Whom
The full question list and answers are below.
Instructions: Fill in each blank with who or whom.
- __________ was that at the door?
- __________ did they give the gold medal to?
- The manager __________ interviewed me was friendly.
- My grandad is someone __________ I always looked up to.
- __________ do you think will win?
- The doctor __________ you recommended was very good.
- __________ should I address the complaint to?
- __________ are you going there with?
- __________ was the first person to walk on the moon?
- Can you remember __________ introduced you to the person __________ you ended up marrying?
Show Answers [Click]
- Who – He/she was at the door ✅
- Whom – They gave the gold medal to him/her ✅
- who – He/she interviewed me ✅
- whom – I always looked up to him/her ✅
- Who – He/she will win ✅
- whom – You recommended him/her ✅
- Whom – I should address the complaint to him/her ✅
- Whom – I am going there with him/her ✅
- Who – He (Neil Armstrong) was the first person to walk on the moon ✅
- who / whom – He/she introduced you ✅ / you ended up marrying him/her ✅