Confused Words: How vs. What… like?

Howdy! Today, we’re diving into an interesting topic: the difference between the phrases “How” and “What… like?“. These two are often interchangeable, but they each have unique uses.

How /haʊ/ and What… like? /wɒt laɪk/

When asking about a description or an opinion of something, both “How” and “What…like?” can be used. However, “How” is used when you want to know about the condition, manner, or quality of something. “What… like?” is used when you want to ask about the characteristics or qualities that something has.

Examples of How:

1. How is the weather today? (Asking about the condition of the weather)
2. How does it feel to be a champion? (Asking about the feeling or experience)
3. How was your journey? (Asking about the quality or condition of the journey)
4. How is your new boss? (Asking for an opinion about the new boss)
5. How does the soup taste? (Asking about the taste of the soup)
6. How is your new apartment? (Asking for an opinion or description of the new apartment)
7. How was the movie? (Asking for an opinion or experience of the movie)
8. How are the kids? (Asking about the condition of the kids)
9. How is the book? (Asking for an opinion of the book)
10. How does the new dress look? (Asking for an opinion or view on the new dress)

Examples of What… like?:

1. What is the weather like today? (Asking about the characteristics of the weather)
2. What does it feel like to be a champion? (Asking about the characteristics of the feeling)
3. What was your journey like? (Asking about the characteristics of the journey)
4. What is your new boss like? (Asking about the characteristics or qualities of the boss)
5. What does the soup taste like? (Asking about the characteristics of the soup’s taste)
6. What is your new apartment like? (Asking about the characteristics of the new apartment)
7. What was the movie like? (Asking about the characteristics or quality of the movie)
8. What are the kids like? (Asking about the kids’ behavior or characteristics)
9. What is the book like? (Asking about the book’s content or style)
10. What does the new dress look like? (Asking about the appearance of the dress)

Conclusion

So, while both “How” and “What… like?” can be used to ask for descriptions or opinions, remember that “How” is more about conditions, experiences, or qualities, and “What… like?” is about the characteristics or traits something has.