Who vs. Whom: Explained in English

Who and whom both ask about people, but they work differently in sentences.

The Simple Rule

WHO = subject (does the action)

Who called you? (Who did the calling?)

WHOM = object (receives the action)

Whom did you call? (You did the calling; whom received it?)

The Easy Trick

Replace with he/him:

He = use WHO
Him = use WHOM

Examples:

Who/Whom is coming?
Test: He is coming. (not "him is coming")
Answer: Who is coming?
Who/Whom did you see?
Test: I saw him. (not "I saw he")
Answer: Whom did you see?

When to Use WHO

As subject of a verb:

Who lives here?
Who made this cake?
Who is calling?

Before a verb: If WHO is directly before the verb, use WHO:

I know someone who speaks French.
The person who helped me was kind.

When to Use WHOM

After prepositions:

To whom did you give it?
With whom are you going?
For whom is this gift?

As object of a verb:

Whom did you invite?
Whom should I call?

Note: In casual English, many native speakers use WHO even as object. "Who did you invite?" is very common in speech, even if "whom" is technically correct.

Formal vs. Casual

Formal/Written English:

To whom it may concern (letter opening)
Whom did you see?
The person whom I met was interesting.

Casual/Spoken English:

Who did you see? (very common, accepted in speech)
The person who I met was interesting.

In Relative Clauses

WHO (subject of relative clause):

The woman who works here is my friend.
(The woman works here—she does the action)

WHOM (object of relative clause):

The woman whom I met was friendly.
(I met the woman—she receives the action)

Want to see grammar in context? FreeTalk Dictionary shows real examples while you read online.

Examples by Level

A2: Who is your teacher?
A2: Who called you last night?
B1: The person who lives next door is very friendly.
B1: Whom did you give the keys to? (formal) or Who did you give the keys to? (casual)
B2: To whom should I address this letter? (formal)
B2: The colleague with whom I worked was helpful.

Memory Tricks

He/Him Trick: He = who, Him = whom
M for M: Whom = him (both end in M)
After preposition: Always whom (to whom, with whom, for whom)

Common Mistakes

❌ Whom is at the door?
✅ Who is at the door? (subject)

❌ Who did you give it to? (technically)
✅ To whom did you give it? (formal correct)
✅ Who did you give it to? (casual, widely accepted)

FAQs

Q: Is "whom" still used?
A: Yes, in formal writing. In casual speech, "who" is more common even when "whom" is technically correct.

Q: Will people correct me if I use "who" instead of "whom"?
A: Rarely, especially in casual conversation. In formal writing or academic work, use "whom" correctly.

Q: What about "whoever" vs. "whomever"?
A: Same rule. "Whoever" = subject, "whomever" = object. But "whoever" is much more common.

Q: Can I always use "who" and forget "whom"?
A: In casual speech, yes, mostly. But learn "whom" for formal writing, tests, and after prepositions.