Who (pronoun)
What person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone. (used in a direct or indirect question)
“Who is that? (direct question)”
“I don’t know who it is. (indirect question)”
Who (pronoun)
What is one’s position; asks whether someone deserves to say or do something.
“I don’t like what you did, but who am I to criticize you? I’ve done worse.”
Who (pronoun)
The person or people that.
“It was a nice man who helped us.”
Who (pronoun)
Whoever, he who, they who.
Who (noun)
A person under discussion; a question of which person.
What (pronoun)
Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
What (pronoun)
That; which; who.
What (pronoun)
That which; those that; the thing that.
“He knows what he wants.”
“What goes up must come down.”
“Keep up with what your friends are doing.”
What (pronoun)
Whatever.
“I will do what I can to help you.”
What (adverb)
In some manner or degree; in part; partly. See also what with
“What with singing and joking, the time passed quickly.”
What (adverb)
Such.
“What a pity.”
“What a beautiful day!”
What (adverb)
Why?
What (adverb)
Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both…and.
What (adverb)
used to contradict an assumption
What (interjection)
An expression of surprise or disbelief.
“What! That’s amazing.”
What (interjection)
Response that enquires what the asker desires (usually said unhappily).
What (interjection)
clipping of what do you say?
“It’s a nice day, what?”
What (interjection)
What did you say? I beg your pardon?
What (determiner)
Which; which kind of.
“What shirt are you going to wear?”
“What time is it?”
“What kind of car is that?”
What (determiner)
How much; how great (used in an exclamation).
“What talent he has!”
“What a talent!”
What (determiner)
Whatever
“Write down what things come into your mind.”
What (noun)
Something; thing; stuff.
What (noun)
The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
What (noun)
Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
Who (pronoun)
what or which person or people
“I wonder who that letter was from”
“who is that woman?”
Who (pronoun)
used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned
“Joan Fontaine plays the mouse who married the playboy”
Who (pronoun)
the person that; whoever
“who holds the sea, perforce doth hold the land”
What (pronoun)
asking for information specifying something
“what is your name?”
“I’m not sure what you mean”
What (pronoun)
asking for repetition of something not heard or confirmation of something not understood
“what? I can’t hear you”
“you did what?”
What (pronoun)
the thing or things that (used in specifying something)
“what we need is a commitment”
What (pronoun)
(referring to the whole of an amount) whatever
“I want to do what I can to make a difference”
What (pronoun)
(in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable
“what some people do for a crust!”
What (determiner)
asking for information specifying something
“do you know what excuse he gave?”
“what time is it?”
What (determiner)
(referring to the whole of an amount) whatever
“he had been robbed of what little money he had”
What (determiner)
(in exclamations) how great or remarkable
“what a fool she was”
“what luck!”
What (adverb)
to what extent?
“what does it matter?”
What (adverb)
used to indicate an estimate or approximation
“see you, what, about four?”
What (adverb)
used for emphasis or to invite agreement
“pretty poor show, what?”