In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about two words that are easily confused, whether and weather.
Notice the spelling of the conjunction whether, and don’t confuse it with the noun weather, which sounds exactly the same.
✗ It does not matter wheather one is an optimist or a pessimist.
✓ It does not matter whether one is an optimist or a pessimist.
✗ The question is wether there is still a place for imagination in the world.
✓ The question is whether there is still a place for imagination in the world.
✗ … the issue of weather criminals need retribution or rehabilitation.
✓ … the issue of whether criminals need retribution or rehabilitation.
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An easy way to remember the two words:
Whether the weather be fine
Whether the weather be not
Whether the weather by cold
Whether the weather be hot
We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not!
Thanks Margaret; I’d forgotten about that rhyme until you reminded me (of course it only works if you see it written down…)