'Whomever' vs 'Whoever': What's the Difference?

If you are looking for an explanation of the difference between 'whomever' vs. 'whoever,' here it is.

Here is the quick version, in case you are in a hurry: 

• 'Whomever' is a pronoun, and the objective case of the pronoun 'whoever.'
• 'Whoever' is a pronoun that means any person, no matter who. 

There is much more to learn. So, keep reading to find out how to use 'whomever' and 'whoever' correctly.

What is the Difference Between 'Whomever' vs. 'Whoever?'

'Whomever' and 'whoever' are different cases of the same word. 'Whomever' is the objective case of the pronoun.

You use the objective case of a pronoun when the word is being used as an object and the subjective case of a pronoun when it is the subject of a sentence.

Subjective pronouns are terms like:

• I
• You
• Me
• He
• She
• It
• Who
• Whoever

Objective pronouns are terms like:

• Her
• Him
• It
• Whom
• Whomever

Notice that the spelling of some objective pronouns like him, her, whom, and whomever is different, but others like it are not.

How to Use 'Whomever' vs. 'Whoever'

I explained the difference between 'whomever' vs. 'whoever.' But, it can still be a challenge to know when to use each term and when to use the subjective vs. objective forms of pronouns.

So, here are some tips:

When to Use Subjective vs. Objective Tense

• Use subjective tense when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

For example, you could say:

Who is in charge here?

• Use the objective case when the pronoun is receiving the action of a verb.

So, you could say:

Do you know whom I need to talk to about applying for a job? 

In the sample sentence above, I is the subject, and whom is the person you need to talk to? So, you use 'whom' because they are the object or recipient of the verb.

• Use 'whoever' when it is the subject of a sentence.

For example, you could say:

Whoever painted this painting is a talented artist. 

• Use 'whomever' when it is the object of something.

As an example, you could say:

He falls in love with whomever he meets.

As you can see in the sentence above, the subject is he, and the object of his love is 'whomever.'

• Use 'whom' or 'whomever' in the statement 'To whomever it may concern.'

For example, I might say:

If you are going out of town, you should leave a letter addressed to 'whom or whomever it may concern' that gives authority to the person caring for your children, home, or pets to handle emergencies in your absence. 

Definition of 'Whomever': What Does 'Whomever' Mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 'whomever' is a pronoun defined as:

• The objective case of 'whoever'

Synonyms of 'Whomever'

There are no synonyms or similar words to 'whomever' in the English language.

Definition of 'Whoever': What Does 'Whoever' Mean?

The same defines 'whoever' as a pronoun that means:

• Any person, no matter who

Synonyms of 'Whoever'

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, no synonyms exist for 'whoever.' However, you can use the pronoun 'anyone' instead of 'whoever' in certain contexts.

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce 'Whomever' vs. 'Whoever'

Pronunciation is an essential aspect of learning new terms and knowing how to correctly pronounce terms like 'whomever' and 'whoever,' you are more confident to use them in conversations and when speaking in public.

So, here is a guide to help you pronounce 'whomever' vs. 'whoever.'

• Use this phonetic spelling to pronounce 'whomever':

hü-meh-ver

• Use this phonetic spelling to pronounce 'whoever':

hü-eh-ver

As you can see, the pronunciations are similar but slightly different. The difference indicates whether the term is a subject or the recipient of a verb's action.

Therefore, if you use the term in an objective case, you must pronounce the m. Otherwise, you spell and pronounce the term without the m. 

Sample Sentences Using 'Whomever' vs. 'Whoever'

Whomever

• Please give it to whomever you see when you arrive.
• You can talk to whomever you want, but please be professional and courteous.
• You can't trust whomever you meet without getting to know them and observing their character first.
• I will help whomever you send load it into their car.
• If you have a question about your order, whomever answers the phone can help you.
• Whomever among you will volunteer?

Whoever

• Please tell whoever cleans the room not to rearrange anything.
• If you must go to the store, whoever is available can cover for you until you return.
• Whoever do you think you are talking to me like that?
• If you know whoever did that work, please introduce me to them.
• When you are a record executive, you can't give whoever walks through the door a deal.
• Whoever you are and wherever you are from, you are capable of incredible things as long as you have faith in yourself.

Whomever/Whoever

• Whoever you are, you can't speak to whomever you want like that.
• This is an urgent matter! Whoever is in charge needs to contact whomever they need to get this problem solved.
• You should be nice to whoever you meet because you never know if whomever you encounter is dealing with hardships.

Review: The Difference Between 'Whomever' vs. 'Whoever'

Congratulations! You made it to the end of this lesson. But before you go, let's recap the difference between 'whomever' vs. 'whoever' one more time: 

• 'Whomever' is the objective form of the pronoun 'whoever.'
• 'Whoever' is a pronoun that means anyone, no matter who.

Do not feel bad if you get confused about which of these terms to use. Even experienced writers occasionally need a refresher on the meanings of words like these.

You can always return to this page to review this guide and learn about hundreds of other commonly misused and mispronounced words in the confusing words section here.