List of wh-words

The term wh-word is a useful concept in grammar. (An explanation is at wh-word.) This page is only a list of the essential wh-words.

• what
• when
• where (which may include whither and whence
• which

• who (along with whom and whose - you may want to see Who's - whose
• why

and the exceptionally spelled

• how

There are also the compound forms whatever, whenever and so on. These can be used as single words ("Come whenever you want), or double ("when ever did you hear that?"). They can be furher compounded in such forms as whatsoever.

For another way of looking at wh-words, go to Kipling's serving men.