Weather vs Whether
The words weather and whether have nothing in common other than their pronunciation, but English speakers are sometimes unsure which one to use. Find out whether you need to correct your spelling.
Weather
Weather is usually a noun:
How's the weather?
The weather is always great this time of year
What's the weather like in Spain?
Weather is also a verb that means "to be affected by the weather":
That house is really weathered
Figuratively, weather means "to get/live through":
I know we can weather this crisis
Whether
Whether is a conjunction that introduces possibilities or alternatives:
Do you know whether he is coming?
You'll do it whether you like it or not
Whether you win or lose, you'll have done your best
The Bottom Line
The words weather and whether are pronounced identically, hence the confusion in spelling. Just remember that whether is more or less interchangeable with "if," while weather indicates the temperature and atmospheric conditions.
The words weather and whether have nothing in common other than their pronunciation, but English speakers are sometimes unsure which one to use. Find out whether you need to correct your spelling.
Weather
Weather is usually a noun:
How's the weather?
The weather is always great this time of year
What's the weather like in Spain?
Weather is also a verb that means "to be affected by the weather":
That house is really weathered
Figuratively, weather means "to get/live through":
I know we can weather this crisis
Whether
Whether is a conjunction that introduces possibilities or alternatives:
Do you know whether he is coming?
You'll do it whether you like it or not
Whether you win or lose, you'll have done your best
The Bottom Line
The words weather and whether are pronounced identically, hence the confusion in spelling. Just remember that whether is more or less interchangeable with "if," while weather indicates the temperature and atmospheric conditions.