Shaky English Logo
BlogBusinessesSchoolsDownload the App

Resources

Blog

Follow us:

Services

TeachersSchoolsBusinesses

Contact & Legal

Contact UsFeedback & IdeasPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use

© 2026 Shaky English. All rights reserved.

  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Commonly Confused Words
  4. Who's vs. Whose
Commonly Confused Words

Who's vs. Whose

1 min read
Share:

Let’s quickly clear up the difference between who’s and whose!

Who's

Who's is a contraction of who is or who has.

  • Who's at the door? → Who is at the door?
  • Who's coming to dinner? → Who is coming?
  • Who's seen my keys? → Who has seen my keys?

If you can replace it with “who is” or “who has,” then “who’s” is the right choice.

Whose

Whose is a possessive word — it shows that something belongs to someone.

  • Whose phone is this?
  • Do you know whose car is blocking the driveway?
  • That's the artist whose work I love.

Use “whose” when you’re talking about ownership or possession.

💡 Tip

If you can replace the word with who is or who has, use who’s.

If that doesn’t work, then the correct word is whose.

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

___ coming to the party tonight?

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Other similar rules

A bit of theory

The correct use of “anxious”

In everyday English, people often say they are anxious to do something when they actually mean they are eager or excited. However, these words do not mean the same thing. Anxious Anxious means feelin...

Read more→
Common confusions

Peak vs. Peek vs. Pique

Peak, peek, and pique sound the same but have very different meanings. Mixing them up is extremely common, so here’s how to keep them clear. Peak Peak is a noun or verb related to the highest point o...

Read more→
Common confusions

Say vs. Tell

Say and tell both relate to speaking, but they are used differently. The main difference is simple: tell usually needs a person (an object), while say does not. Use “say” → focus on the words Say is...

Read more→
Common mistakes

Since vs. For

We use since and for to talk about how long something has been happening — but they are used in different ways depending on the type of time reference. When to use “since” Since is used with a speci...

Read more→
Common confusions

Borrow vs. Lend

Borrow and lend describe the same action but from opposite directions. One is about receiving something; the other is about giving it. Borrow Borrow means to take something from someone with the inte...

Read more→
A bit of theory

Affect vs. Effect

Let’s make the difference between affect and effect easy to understand! Affect Affect is usually a verb. It means to influence or to make a change. Too much screen time can affect your sleep....

Read more→
Conjugation

Verbs with no preposition (discuss, marry, enter, lack)

Some English verbs are often used incorrectly with a preposition (like about, with, or to). In many languages, a preposition is required — but in English, these verbs take a direct object with no prep...

Read more→
Common confusions

More than vs. Over

Is it “more than 100 people” or “over 100 people”? Good news: in most cases, both are correct! But here’s how to choose the best one for your sentence 🧠 More than More than is used to talk about qu...

Read more→