WHICH IS WHICH or WHAT IS WHAT

Question

When to use which?- I don't know which is which./what is what.How to use each?Thank you

Hmea1 · Accepted Answer

I saw a YouTube video in which someone said that "which" is for when there are multiple options to choose from. Thus, if you had 2 or more options available, ideally you would say "which." For example, suppose you had 2 cans of paint in front of you and someone asked you, "Which can of paint do you want, the one on the right or the one on the left?" "Which" is the proper word to use when asking for directions. "Which way to the...?" is proper and not "What way to the...?" although you'd be understood in either case.

It is my understanding that the word "what" is ideally to be used when there is 1 option available. When asking for someone's name you use "what" not the word "which." Please note however that in English, people commonly use the word "what" even when there is more than one option available to choose from. Referring to the previous example with the paint cans, someone might also ask you, "What can of paint do you want?" even if there is more than 1 option available to choose from. The reality of things is that this is a largely accepted usage of "what."

The take away point from all of this is that "which" and "what" are used non-interchangeably for certain set questions (such as "which" when asking for directions and "what" with asking a person's name) and that "what" is often substituted for "which" in English when there are multiple options available to choose from.

WHICH IS WHICH or WHAT IS WHAT

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