“Weather” or “Whether”: Learn How To Remember the Difference

If there’s one thing English is good at, it’s confusing us with words that are pronounced identically but have different meanings.

The homophones weather and whether are just two of countless examples. But we’re going to help you overcome this storm of confusion by clarifying their meanings and usage and providing an easy way to remember the difference.

Let’s dive in!

Meaning of “Weather”

Weather can function as a noun and a verb.

As a noun, it means “the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time.” Put simply, weather refers to the outside temperature and conditions. Is it raining, humid, dry, sunny, or windy? Those are a few adjectives that can describe the weather.

Can you check the weather and let me know if I should bring a sweater?

The weather has been unbearably hot.

My favorite type of weather is when it’s gloomy and rainy.

Weather has multiple meanings when used as a verb.

1. To change in appearance due to exposure to the elements 

Her face was weathered from years of sun exposure.

2. To endure and come safely through a difficult period or experience

Fortunately, our company weathered the economic downturn.

Weather the storm is an expression that carries the same meaning: “to deal with a challenging situation without being harmed or damaged.”

The team weathered the storm and ended up winning the championship game.

Under the weather is an idiom that means “feeling ill or unwell.”

I was feeling under the weather, so I stayed home from school.

Meaning of “Whether”

Whether is a conjunction (a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses to each other) that communicates doubt or a choice between two possibilities.

I wonder whether he’ll decide to stay or transfer to another school.

I’ll ask Erick to check whether she arrived home on time.

Julissa asked whether I bought the gift at Macy’s or Nordstrom.

Similarly, whether is also used to express that “something is true in either of two cases.”

I’m going to prom, whether I have a date or not. 

Sometimes if can be used in place of whether, and other times it cannot. In formal writing, there is a distinction. Consider the following examples:

I wonder if he’ll decide to stay or transfer to another school.

I wonder whether he’ll decide to stay or transfer to another school.

I’ll ask Erick to check if she arrived home on time.

I’ll ask Erick to check whether she arrived home on time. 

The use of if in place of whether in the previous examples does not alter the meaning of the sentence. However, let’s take a look at the following example:

Julissa asked if I bought the gift at Macy’s or Nordstrom.

In this sentence, the if means Julissa is simply asking if the gift was bought at either Macy’s or Nordstrom (a simple “yes” can answer this question).

Julissa asked whether I bought the gift at Macy’s or Nordstrom.

However, the use of whether indicates that Julissa wants to know where exactly the gift was bought—Macy’s or Nordstrom.

Here, the use of if would be considered informal or bad style. Remember, you should use if for conditional sentences and whether when you aim to express doubt or show that there is more than one option available.

How To Remember the Difference

Now you know what weather and whether mean, but how do you remember the difference?

It’s simple! Keep in mind that weather, like climate, has to do with the conditions of the atmosphere. Weather, climate, and atmosphere contain the letter “a,” but whether does not.

Another effortless way to ensure you’re always using these homophones (and any others) correctly is by trusting LanguageTool as your writing assistant. Not only will it detect various types of errors, but it will also ensure stylistic optimization by correcting word choice and tone.

Whether you’re an amateur writer or a seasoned pro, LanguageTool will enhance your writing. Try it today!