Whether vs. That 

"Whether" vs. "That" in the English grammar

What Is Their Main Difference?

The main difference between 'whether' and 'that' is in their certainty. 'That' introduces certain alternatives while 'whether' introduces less certain alternatives.

Parts of Speech

'Whether' and 'that' are conjunctions. They are used to connect clauses together.

Example

We need to check whether he is home or not.

We need to check that he is home or not.

Meaning

We can 'whether' and 'that' to express alternatives and conditions. Have a look:

Example

I'm not sure whether this is correct.

I know that this is correct.

As you can see in the examples above, 'whether' and 'that' can be used as conjunctions. However, 'that' is used when there is a certainty. In other words, when we are sure about a condition or alternative, we use 'that.' Conversely, 'whether' is used when there is doubt about the condition or alternative.

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