Confusing words explained
“whose” vs “who's” — What’s the Difference?
Whose = possessive (belongs to); who's = who is (contraction).
Key takeaway
Quick Difference: whose vs who's
Whose = possessive (belongs to); who's = who is (contraction).
whose vs who's Side-by-Side Comparison
Meaning of whose
Possessive pronoun indicating that something belongs to or is connected with a person or animal.
Shows that something belongs to someone; used instead of 'his', 'her', or 'their' in questions or to identify ownership.
Use 'whose' in questions or relative clauses to show possession. Always precedes a noun.
- Whose book is this on the table?
- The student whose homework was excellent received praise.
Meaning of who's
How to Remember the Difference
Who's = who is/who has (apostrophe replaces letters); whose = belongs to whom (no apostrophe).
Common Mistakes with whose and who's
Mistake with whose
Wrong: Who's car is parked outside?
Correct: Whose car is parked outside?
Use 'whose' for possession; 'who's' is a contraction of 'who is'.
Mistake with whose
Wrong: The girl whose I saw yesterday was your sister.
Correct: The girl whom I saw yesterday was your sister.
Use 'whom' or 'that' after the verb; 'whose' shows possession of a noun that follows.
Practice Quiz: whose or who's?
Choose the word that best completes each real example sentence.
Question 1
_____ book is this on the table?
Question 2
The student _____ homework was excellent received praise.
Question 3
That is the neighbor _____ dog barks all day.
Pick at least one answer, then press Check answers to see how you did.
You scored 0 out of 3
Frequently Asked Questions About whose vs who's
What’s the difference between “whose” and “who's”?
Whose = possessive (belongs to); who's = who is (contraction).
When should I use “whose”?
Use 'whose' in questions or relative clauses to show possession. Always precedes a noun.
How can I remember whose vs who's?
Who's = who is/who has (apostrophe replaces letters); whose = belongs to whom (no apostrophe).
Is it “whose” or “who's” in example sentences?
Use the quiz above to test the pair with real example sentences from the available word data.