Who vs Whom: Which One Do You Need?
Who does the action. Whom receives it.
Who called? To whom did you speak?
The test that settles it
Answer the question with he or him. If him is the natural answer, use whom — the two words end in the same letter.
“___ wrote this?” → he wrote it, so who.
“___ did you ask?” → I asked him, so whom.
The m in whom matches the m in him. That is the whole test.
Who: the subject
Use it when the person is doing something. It stands where he, she or they would stand.
Who is coming to the meeting?
The engineer who designed it has retired.
I know who sent it.
Replace with he. If the answer works, who is right.
Whom: the object
Use it when the person is on the receiving end — of a verb, or of a preposition such as to, for, with or from.
Whom did they appoint?
The candidate whom we interviewed first.
To whom should I address the letter?
Replace with him. If the answer works, whom is right.
Side by side
| Who | Whom |
|---|---|
| Subject | Object |
| Answers with he | Answers with him |
| Never follows a preposition | Follows to, for, with |
| Who told you? | You told whom? |
The exception
In conversation almost nobody says whom did you see, and who is accepted there without comment.
It survives in two places: after a preposition (to whom, for whom), and in formal writing, where using who as an object will be noticed. If you are unsure in speech, rephrase — who did you speak to avoids the question entirely.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whom is calling? | Who is calling? | He is calling — the subject. |
| The person who I met | The person whom I met | I met him — the object. |
| To who it may concern | To whom it may concern | After a preposition, always whom. |
| Whom do you think will win? | Who do you think will win? | Strip out do you think: who will win. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- ___ left the door open?
- For ___ is this parcel?
- She is the one ___ signed the form.
- ___ did the committee choose?
- The friend with ___ I travelled.
Show the answers
1. Who 2. whom 3. who 4. Whom 5. whom
Frequently asked
Is whom old-fashioned?
In speech, largely. In formal writing and after prepositions it is still expected, and using who there reads as careless.
What about whoever and whomever?
The same test applies. Whoever does the action; whomever receives it.
More words people confuse
