• 2-minute read
• 15th October 2022

Spelling Tips: “Weather or Not” vs “Whether or Not”

Confused about weather or not vs whether or not? You’re not alone.

Weather and whether are homophones, which means that they sound the same but have different meanings. That’s why they often get confused.

Don’t panic, though! As part of our spelling tips series, this guide will explain everything you need to know.

In short, it’s whether or not. But why?

Whether is a conjunction that presents a choice between alternatives or shows doubt. 

Weather is a noun. It refers to the atmosphere in a geographical area, e.g. it’s raining, it’s sunny, it’s snowing, it’s windy.

So, when you say whether or not, it’s because you’re acknowledging two or more possibilities, none of which are important to the rest of the statement. Here are some examples of how to use whether or not:

Please may I have a cola, whether or not it’s Pepsi?

We’re getting a puppy whether or not you’re happy about it.

Whether or not it’s raining, we’re going for a walk.

Whether he likes it or not, he needs new socks for Christmas.

The exception

Just to confuse things, there is an exception. This is the English language, after all!

There may be few and far between occasions where you might actually need to say weather or not. But, of course, that will be when you’re talking about the weather.

For example, you might want to say:

Weather or not, we’re going to have a lovely barbecue.

But, in the vast majority of cases, it’s whether or not.

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