'Witch' is a person who practises magic; 'which' is the pronoun used in questions and relative clauses.
Noun. A person who practises magic or witchcraft, especially in folklore and fairy tales.
The fairy tale featured a wicked witch who lived in a forest tower.
The Halloween costume turned her into a classic pointed-hat witch.
The witch in the story was actually the hero, not the villain.
Pronoun/conjunction. Used to ask about options or to introduce a relative clause about things.
Which version of the document should I send — the draft or the final?
The report which you submitted yesterday has been approved.
I am not sure which option is better for the long term.
Common mistake
Writing error: "Witch one do you prefer?" (correct: Which one). Or mixing them up in Halloween contexts: "The costume of the which" (correct: witch).
Trick to remember it
'Witch' has an IT in the middle — think of a witch IT crowd (spooky). 'Which' starts with WH like other question words: who, what, when, where, why, which. If it asks a question, it starts with WH.
Quick rule
Is it the folkloric person with magical powers? 'Witch'. Is it the question pronoun? 'Which' — it belongs to the WH-question family.
Did you know?
The Salem witch trials of 1692 led to the execution of twenty people accused of witchcraft. Arthur Miller wrote 'The Crucible' (1953) based on these events as an allegory for McCarthyism. The phrase 'witch hunt' in modern English means a campaign against a person based on false or exaggerated accusations.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
_____ of the two designs do you think works better for the landing page?
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The children dressed up as a _____ and a vampire for the Halloween party.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the folkloric person with magical powers? 'Witch'. Is it the question pronoun? 'Which' — it belongs to the WH-question family.
Writing error: "Witch one do you prefer?" (correct: Which one). Or mixing them up in Halloween contexts: "The costume of the which" (correct: witch).
'Witch' has an IT in the middle — think of a witch IT crowd (spooky). 'Which' starts with WH like other question words: who, what, when, where, why, which. If it asks a question, it starts with WH.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy