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This page: Learn question words in English.

Question Words in English

Question words are words used to formulate questions. They generally come at the beginning of a question and replace unknown information. For example, in the question "Who wrote the book?", the unknown information is the author of the book. The interrogative word Who replaces this unknown information to formulate the question.

What are the question words in English?

Who

Who is used to ask about people or to identify someone specific.

• Who ate the cookies?

What

What is used to ask about things, actions, or situations.

• What is this?

Where

Where is used to ask about places or the location of something.

• Where is the nearest gas station?

When

When is used to ask about the time or moment when something happens.

• When did you arrive?

Why

Why is used to ask about the reasons or motives behind something.

• Why did you do that?

How

How is used to ask about the manner or method in which something is done.

• How do you bake a cake?

Which

Which is used to ask about choice or selection among a limited number of options.

• Which book do you prefer?

How do you pronounce the question words?

Click on each question word below to hear its pronunciation.

Question Words
Who
What
Where
When
Why
How
Which

 

Video - Question Words

Watch a video to learn the question words in English. Follow our "The English Minute" YouTube Channel and learn English in just a few minutes with our short video lessons.

 

Practice - Question Words

Select the question word.

1. Question word used to ask about the manner or method in which something is done.
      Who How Where What When Why Which
     

2. Question word used to ask about people or to identify someone specific.
      How What Where Who When Why Which
     

3. Question word used to ask about places or the location of something.
      Who Where Which When What Why How
     

4. Question word used to ask about things, actions, or situations.
      Who How What When Where Why Which
     

5. Question word used to ask about the time or moment when something happens.
      Who How Where When Why What Which
     

6. Question word used to ask about the reasons or motives behind something.
      Who How What Where Why When Which
     

7. Question word used to ask about choice or selection among a limited number of options.
      Who Which Where When What Why How
     

 

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