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One is the atmospheric conditions, the other introduces an alternative.
Side-by-side comparison
"Weather" refers to atmospheric conditions at a given time and place: rain, sunshine, wind, temperature. "What's the weather like?" = what are the current conditions outside?
The weather in London is unpredictable.
Check the weather before you pack your bags.
Bad weather cancelled the outdoor concert.
"Whether" introduces alternatives or indirect questions. "I don't know whether to go or stay" = I am undecided between two options. Similar to "if" in indirect questions.
I don't know whether to call or send an email.
Tell me whether you can come to the meeting.
Whether you agree or not, the decision is final.
Common mistake
- •Writing "weather" when introducing a choice.
- •Common mistake: "I don't know weather to go" (correct: whether to go).
Trick to remember it
- •"Whether" contains "whet" as in "whet your appetite," suggesting two options to weigh.
- •"Weather" has "eat" in the middle, bad weather eats your plans.
Quick rule
Can you substitute it with "rain/sun/temperature"? "Weather." Can you substitute it with "if... or not"? "Whether."
Did you know?
The expression "to weather the storm" uses WEATHER as a VERB meaning "to survive a difficult situation." "The company weathered the economic crisis." This figurative use of WEATHER as a verb is very common in business, political, and journalistic language. The metaphor is direct: just as a ship or structure must "withstand adverse weather," people or institutions must "withstand difficult situations." WHETHER, in contrast, is never used as a verb, it is exclusively a conjunction.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I'm not sure _____ to go by bus or train. Which do you think?
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The _____ was terrible on the day of the festival. It rained all afternoon.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy