What is the difference between whose and who's?

Whose (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of who — it asks or tells who something belongs to. Who’s (with apostrophe) is the short form of who is or who has .

How do I know when to use who's?

Say the sentence with who is or who has . If it still makes sense, write who’s : “Who’s coming?” = “Who is coming?” If it does not make sense, write whose : “Whose book is this?” — you cannot say “Who is book is this?”

Is it whose turn or who's turn?

Whose turn is correct — the turn belongs to someone, so you need the possessive. The same goes for whose fault , whose idea , and whose phone .

Level: B1

Whose vs Who’s

Whose (belonging to whom) and who’s (who is / who has) sound exactly the same. One quick test solves it every time — then practice with the sentences below.

🔍 Confused words · pair 53 of 54 ⏱ about 5 minutes 🔊 every sentence has audio

How to use this page

🔊 Listen: click the speaker icon to hear the whole line read aloud.
Word audio: click any word to hear it spoken on its own.
🌐 Translate: choose a language then click the globe icon to open Google Translate.
☑️ Select & practice: tick the checkboxes to choose items, then print them, make a worksheet or flashcards, or start a quiz.
For Matching Game quizzes, choose sentences that include more than one of the words below. If you pick sentences with only one word, the quiz will automatically add a sentence using another word.

Whose – possessive: belonging to whom (no apostrophe).
______ backpack is this? – Whose
______ turn is it to do the dishes? – Whose
I don’t know ______ car is parked outside. – whose
______ phone keeps ringing? – Whose
She is the writer ______ books I love. – whose
______ idea was this? – Whose
Do you know ______ keys these are? – whose
______ side are you on? – Whose
The student ______ essay won got a prize. – whose
______ shoes are by the door? – Whose
He asked ______ jacket was on the chair. – whose
______ dog is barking all night? – Whose
That is the neighbor ______ garden is so beautiful. – whose
______ name is first on the list? – Whose
I wonder ______ umbrella this is. – whose
______ fault was the accident? – Whose
The girl ______ bike was stolen called the police. – whose
______ team won the game? – Whose
Who’s – short for “who is” or “who has” (with apostrophe).
______ coming to the party tonight? – Who’s
Do you know ______ at the door? – who’s
______ ready for lunch? – Who’s
I know ______ responsible for this mess. – who’s
______ going to drive us to the airport? – Who’s
That’s the teacher ______ been helping me. – who’s
______ your favorite singer? – Who’s
Guess ______ getting married! – who’s
______ next in line? – Who’s
She’s the one ______ always late. – who’s
______ hungry? – Who’s
Find out ______ in charge here. – who’s
______ been eating my cookies? – Who’s
Anyone ______ finished can leave early. – who’s
______ that man by the window? – Who’s
My friend ______ studying medicine lives in Boston. – who’s
______ calling, please? – Who’s
Let’s see ______ brave enough to go first. – who’s

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between whose and who's?: Whose (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of who — it asks or tells who something belongs to. Who’s (with apostrophe) is the short form of who is or who has.
How do I know when to use who's?: Say the sentence with who is or who has. If it still makes sense, write who’s: “Who’s coming?” = “Who is coming?” If it does not make sense, write whose: “Whose book is this?” — you cannot say “Who is book is this?”
Is it whose turn or who's turn?: Whose turn is correct — the turn belongs to someone, so you need the possessive. The same goes for whose fault, whose idea, and whose phone.