Word
who
US/ˈhu/
UK/hˈuː/
Definitions
01asking for identity
A1 · Beginner
pron. you use this to ask which person or people did something.
pron. an interrogative pronoun used to request the identity of a person or group of people.
“Who is that man standing by the door?”
“Who was responsible for authorizing the expenditure without consulting the board of directors first?”
Usage
Used as the subject of a sentence or question.
Pitfall
Who did you see at the party?
Whom did you see at the party?
In very formal English, 'who' is for the subject and 'whom' is for the object, though 'who' is now common for both in speech.
Teaching tip
While 'whom' is technically correct for objects, 'who' is the standard choice for almost all modern spoken contexts.
Synonyms
02adding information
A1 · Beginner
pron. you use this to give more details about a person you just mentioned.
pron. a relative pronoun used to introduce a clause that provides more information about a human antecedent.
“The woman who lives next door is a famous doctor.”
“The candidates who successfully complete the first round of interviews will be invited back for a technical assessment.”
Usage
Introduces a relative clause.
Pitfall
The car who I bought is red.
The car that I bought is red.
Use 'who' only for people; use 'which' or 'that' for objects.
Teaching tip
Remind students that 'who' is for people and 'which' is for things, though 'that' can sometimes be used for both.
Synonyms
03the identity of a person
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Informal
n. the identity of a person, often used when the person is unknown.
n. the identity or specific person involved in a situation, often used in phrases concerning mystery or investigation.
“The police are still trying to find out the who and the why of the crime.”
“The mystery isn't just about the how, but the who—identifying the person behind the anonymous letters.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'the who, what, where, and why'.
Teaching tip
This noun use is idiomatic and usually appears alongside other question words treated as nouns.
Synonyms
Confusables
Who functions as the subject of a verb, while whom functions as the object of a verb or preposition.
RememberWho = He. Whom = Him.
Idioms
Grammar
For Mandarin speakers
Pronunciation Mandarin lacks a distinct /w/ phoneme that allows for the lip-rounding found in English /huː/; speakers may produce a sound closer to the labiodental /f/ or the voiceless velar fricative /x/, pronouncing the word like 'hu' (hǔ).
Grammar Mandarin relative clauses use the particle 的 (de) and precede the noun they modify, leading learners to place the 'who' clause before the subject or omit the relative pronoun entirely in English, producing 'The know me person' instead of 'The person who knows me.'
Collocations In Mandarin, 'who' (谁 shéi) can be used as an object in situ, causing learners to produce 'You see who?' (你看到谁？ Nǐ kàndào shéi?) instead of the English structure 'Who did you see?'
For Japanese speakers
Pronunciation Japanese lacks the labio-velar glide /w/ before the high back vowel /u/, often causing speakers to substitute /h/ with an epenthetic /u/: /huː/. This results in a realization closer to 'foo' or /ɸɯː/ rather than the English /huː/.
Grammar Japanese relative clauses precede the noun they modify without a relative pronoun (e.g., 走る人 hashiru hito / 'running person'). Transfer of this head-final structure often results in omitting 'who' as a subject relative pronoun in English sentences.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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