Choosing between who else vs whom else can be confusing, especially because both expressions sound natural in everyday English. The difference depends on the grammatical role of the pronoun in the sentence, not simply on whether the word comes after the word else.
The good news is that you can usually choose the correct form by asking one simple question: Is the person being described as the subject or the object? In modern conversational English, however, who else is much more common, and whom else is generally reserved for formal situations where traditional object-pronoun grammar is being followed.
Quick Answer: Who Else vs Whom Else
The basic rule is:
- Who else is used when the person is the subject of a verb.
- Whom else is used when the person is the object of a verb or preposition.
- In everyday English, who else is often preferred even in situations where traditional grammar would use whom else.
Examples:
Who else is coming to the party?
Here, who else is the subject of is coming.
Whom else did you invite?
Here, whom else is the object of invite.
A useful test is to replace who/whom with he/him:
- If he sounds right → use who
- If him sounds right → traditionally use whom
For example:
Who else is coming?
He is coming.
So who is correct.
Whom else did you invite?
I invited him.
So whom is traditionally correct.
What Does Who Else Mean?
Who else means what other person or people.
The word else adds the meaning of another person or someone in addition to the person or people already mentioned or considered.
For example:
Who else is going with you?
This means:
What other person is going with you?
More examples:
Who else knows about the plan?
Who else wants some coffee?
Who else can help us?
Who else was at the meeting?
Who else should we invite?
The expression is extremely common in everyday English.
What Does Whom Else Mean?
Whom else has essentially the same general idea, but whom is used when the person is functioning as an object.
For example:
Whom else did you meet?
The person represented by whom receives the action of meet.
Another example:
Whom else did she contact?
Here, the person is the object of contact.
You might also see:
To whom else should I send the letter?
This is grammatically formal and traditional.
In ordinary conversation, many native speakers would say:
Who else should I send the letter to?
The second version is much more natural in everyday speech.
Who Else vs Whom Else Comparison Table
| Feature | Who Else | Whom Else |
|---|---|---|
| Grammatical role | Usually subject | Traditionally object |
| Meaning | What other person | What other person |
| Everyday use | Very common | Less common |
| Formal writing | Common | Sometimes preferred |
| Example | Who else is coming? | Whom else did you invite? |
| Modern spoken English | Natural | Often sounds formal |
The important point is that else does not determine whether you use who or whom. The grammatical role of the pronoun does.
When to Use Who Else
Use who else when the person is the subject of the sentence.
For example:
Who else wants to come?
Here, who else performs the action of wanting to come.
Who else lives in this house?
The person represented by who else performs the action of living.
Who else knows the answer?
The person knows the answer, so who is the subject.
Other examples include:
- Who else is available?
- Who else called you?
- Who else can speak English?
- Who else was there?
- Who else wants to participate?
- Who else has finished the assignment?
In all these examples, who else functions naturally as the subject.
When to Use Whom Else
Use whom else when the person is the object of a verb or preposition, especially in formal English.
For example:
Whom else did you invite?
The person is receiving the action of invite.
Whom else did they contact?
The person receives the action of contact.
Whom else did she ask?
The person is the object of ask.
With a preposition:
To whom else should I speak?
Here, whom follows the preposition to.
Another example:
With whom else did you travel?
This is grammatically formal.
The He/Him Test
One of the easiest traditional grammar tests is the he/him test.
Replace who or whom with he or him.
If he fits, use who.
If him fits, use whom.
Consider:
Who else is coming?
Answer:
He is coming.
Therefore, who is appropriate.
Now consider:
Whom else did you see?
Answer:
I saw him.
Therefore, traditional grammar calls for whom.
This method is useful for formal writing and grammar exercises.
Who Else Did You Invite or Whom Else Did You Invite?
This is one of the most common questions about this topic.
In traditional grammar, the formal version is:
Whom else did you invite?
Why?
Because the person is the object of invite.
However, in modern conversational English, many native speakers naturally say:
Who else did you invite?
This version is extremely common and does not sound unusual in ordinary conversation.
Therefore, there is an important distinction between traditional grammatical analysis and actual modern usage.
Who Else Is Coming or Whom Else Is Coming?
The correct standard choice here is:
Who else is coming?
Why?
Because the person is the subject of is coming.
You can test it:
He is coming.
Not:
Him is coming.
Therefore, who is correct.
Saying whom else is coming? is generally considered incorrect because whom is an object form and cannot normally serve as the subject here.
Who Else Should I Ask or Whom Else Should I Ask?
Traditional grammar would favor:
Whom else should I ask?
The person is the object of ask.
However, in modern everyday English:
Who else should I ask?
is much more common.
If you are writing highly formal prose, academic material, or a formal document where traditional grammar is expected, whom else may be appropriate.
For normal conversation, emails, websites, and informal writing, who else is usually the more natural choice.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Thinking Else Determines the Pronoun
Some learners assume that else must be followed by either who or whom depending on the phrase.
That is not the rule.
The grammatical role determines the choice.
Who else is coming?
Whom else did you invite?
The word else does not change the underlying grammar.
Mistake 2: Using Whom for Every Formal Sentence
Using whom everywhere can make your English sound unnecessarily formal.
For example:
Whom else is coming to dinner?
is incorrect because the pronoun is the subject.
The natural sentence is:
Who else is coming to dinner?
Mistake 3: Avoiding Who Because Whom Sounds More Formal
Some learners believe whom is always more sophisticated.
That is not true.
Correct grammar matters more than sounding formal.
Who else is responsible?
is perfectly correct and natural.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Modern English Usage
Traditional grammar distinguishes carefully between who and whom, but modern English increasingly uses who in many object positions.
This is especially common in speech.
Therefore, you should consider both grammatical correctness and natural usage.
American vs British English
The basic distinction between who and whom exists in both American and British English.
However, everyday English in both varieties increasingly favors who, particularly in conversational contexts.
For example:
Who did you speak to?
is common in both American and British English.
The more formal version is:
Whom did you speak to?
British English may preserve whom in some formal contexts, particularly after prepositions:
To whom should I address the letter?
American English also uses this formal construction, particularly in formal writing.
The important point is that who is much more common in ordinary modern communication.
Who Else vs Whom Else in Formal Writing
When writing formally, you may want to follow the traditional subject-object distinction.
For example:
Who else attended the meeting?
This is correct because who else is the subject.
Whom else did the committee interview?
This is traditionally correct because whom else is the object.
However, do not force whom into every sentence.
A formal sentence still needs to be grammatically correct.
Related Expressions
Several expressions are closely related to who else and whom else:
- Who else?
- What else?
- Where else?
- When else?
- Why else?
- Anyone else
- Someone else
- Nobody else
- Anybody else
Examples:
Who else wants to join?
What else do you need?
Where else can we go?
Is anyone else coming?
These expressions all ask about something additional or different.
FAQs
1. Is who else or whom else correct?
Both can be correct, depending on grammatical function. Who else is used for a subject, while traditional grammar uses whom else for an object.
2. Is Who else is coming correct?
Yes. Who else is coming? is completely correct because who else is the subject of the sentence.
3. Is Whom else did you invite correct?
Yes. In traditional grammar, whom else did you invite? is correct because whom else is the object of invite.
4. Is Who else did you invite wrong?
No. Who else did you invite? is extremely common in modern English, especially in conversation. Many speakers prefer who instead of whom in this position.
5. Is whom more formal than who?
Generally, yes. Whom is traditionally associated with formal English, while who is much more common in everyday communication.
6. How do I know whether to use who or whom?
Use the he/him test. If he fits, use who. If him fits, traditional grammar calls for whom.
7. Do Americans use whom?
Yes. Americans use whom, particularly in formal writing and fixed expressions. However, who is much more common in everyday American English.
8. Do British speakers use whom?
Yes. British English also uses whom, especially in formal contexts. However, everyday British English frequently uses who where traditional grammar would prescribe whom.
Final Summary
The difference between who else vs whom else comes down to grammatical function. Who else is used when the person is the subject, as in Who else is coming? Traditional grammar uses whom else when the person is the object, as in Whom else did you invite?
In modern English, however, the distinction is less strict than it once was. Who else is extremely common in everyday speech and informal writing, even when traditional grammar would recommend whom else. This means you should understand the traditional rule while also recognizing how native speakers actually communicate.
