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Guess what? This professional proofreader has her own grammar demons … If vs. whether always trips me up! And I know I’m not the only one who falls prey to these easily confused words!
Sometimes whether and if are interchangeable, but not all the time. To avoid making a mistake, you can follow one simple rule: use if to introduce a condition and use whether when there are two alternatives available.
Table of Contents
Is There a Difference between If and Whether?
If and whether are both conjunctions, which means that they connect two or more sentences or clauses. However, if is conditional, whereas whether introduces an alternative.
If Meaning
If is a subordinating conjunction used to indicate that something is conditional. It states a relationship between cause and effect or speculates about what might happen.
Whether Meaning
Whether is also a subordinating conjunction, but it’s usually used to indicate an indirect question involving stated or implied alternatives.
How Do You Use If in a Sentence?
Use if to introduce a condition. It doesn’t matter whether if appears at the beginning of the sentence or toward the end of the conditional sentence.
Examples of If:
- If you are invited, you can go to the party.
(“If you are invited” is a condition.)
- I will go to the party if I am invited.
(“If I am invited” is a condition)
How Do You Use Whether in a Sentence?
There are a few different ways to know when you should use whether in a sentence instead of if.
Use Whether When There Are Two Alternatives
Example of Whether:
- We can’t decide whether we’re going to go to the beach or the pool today.
In this example, the alternatives are going to the beach and going to the pool.
Use Whether When If Produces Ambiguity
According to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), you should use whether “when using if produces ambiguity.”
Examples:
- Let me know whether you can attend the meeting.
- Let me know if you can attend the meeting.
In the first example, you need to let the person know regardless of whether you are attending or not. In the second example, technically you only need to let them know if you can attend.
Use Whether after a Preposition
Many grammar websites also recommend using whether after a preposition.
Example:
- I asked the waiter about
ifwhether they had shrimp on the menu today.
Whether sounds more natural in this case.
Use Whether before an Infinitive
Grammar websites also recommend that you use whether if it precedes an infinitive (i.e., the basic form of a verb not linked to a particular subject or tense).
Example:
- I’m not sure whether to order steak or fish for dinner.
When Are Whether/If Interchangeable?
We can use whether and if in indirect questions. If a question requires a yes/no answer, you can usually use whether and if interchangeably.
Example:
- He asked if they had already eaten.
- He asked whether they had already eaten.
You can use if or whether interchangeably in this example. This answer to the question is yes or no.
What about weather and whether? Do they mean the same thing as whether? I wrote a blog post explaining the differences here.
More Grammar Posts
Can I Start a Sentence with Whether?
Yes, there’s no reason why you can’t start a sentence with whether.
Determine Whether vs. Determine If
According to CMOS, determine whether is irreproachable style, but determine if is acceptable as a colloquialism. Results on TextRanch show that determine whether is used more frequently than determine if.
Whether or Not or Just Whether?
When using the phrase “whether or not,” the “or not” is usually unnecessary as it doesn’t change the meaning of a sentence.
However, if you mean “regardless of whether,” then you need to say “whether or not.”
Examples of When Whether or Not Is Appropriate
- The game will go ahead whether it rains or not.
- Whether or not she apologizes, I still don’t want her to come to the party.
You could replace “whether or not” with “regardless of whether” in both of these sentences and they would still make sense.
If vs. Whether Quiz
Choose the correct word in the sentences below. You can find the answers at the bottom of this blog post.
- Have you decided if/whether to go to the editing conference yet?
- It really depends on if/whether you prefer steak or fish.
- If/Whether it’s sunny, we’ll go to the beach.
- Tell her she did a good job if/whether or not she wins a medal.
- Please let me know if/whether you have any further questions.
Final Thoughts on If vs. Whether
You’ll probably get away with using if vs. whether interchangeably in speech or informal writing, but in formal writing, it’s better to make the distinction as the meaning can sometimes be different. Whatever you do, make sure you spell whether correctly and don’t get it mixed up with weather!
If vs. Whether Quiz Answers
- Have you decided whether to go to the editing conference yet?
- It really depends on whether you prefer steak or fish.
- If it’s sunny, we’ll go to the beach.
- Tell her she did a good job whether or not she wins a medal.
- Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Punctuation Posts You Might Be Interested in Reading
How to Use an Ellipsis: Chicago vs. AP Style
En Dash vs. Em Dash: When and How to Use Them
How to Use an Apostrophe (and Mistakes You Need to Avoid)
How to Use Commas (and Mistakes to Avoid)
Colon vs. Semicolon: When and How to Use Them
How to Use Quotation Marks (and the Difference between Single Quotes vs. Double Quotes)
