whether vs if

[Aryam]

Hi

I wonder if you could explain to me the difference between whether and if ?

Thank you.

[Kitosdad]

Good morning Aryam. The words have almost the same meaning. Might I give a couple of examples.

whether and if

" I wasn't sure whether/if you would come to the party."

" I'm not sure whether/if you have been told the truth of the matter."

"Please let me know whether/if you agree or not."
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[Alan]

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Hi Aryam,

'If' suggests the possibility and 'whether' suggests alternatives. Look at these two sentences: I don't know if I can come tonight I don't know whether I can come tonight.

In the first one the idea is that I am not sure about the possibility of coming tonight. In the second sentence the idea is that I am not sure about being able to come or not being able to come.

In some sentences only 'whether' is possible as in: It depends on whether he has enough money (after a preposition) You must decide whether to go or not (when you introduce alternatives)

Alan
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