Who vs whom: which is correct?

Use who when it’s the subject, the one doing the action (like he or she). Use whom when it’s the object, the one receiving the action (like him or her). Trick: answer the question with he or him. If him fits, use whom (him and whom both end in m).

Who vs Whom: When to Use Whom (The Easy He/Him Trick)

The he/him test

Sentence	Answer it	Correct
___ is calling?	He is calling.	Who is calling?
___ did you call?	You called him.	Whom did you call?
___ wrote this book?	She wrote it.	Who wrote this book?
To ___ should I send it?	Send it to her.	To whom should I send it?

After prepositions

After words like to, for, with, from and of, use whom when the preposition comes right before it:

To whom it may concern
With whom did you go?
The person for whom the prize was named

Tricky cases

In clauses, test the clause on its own, not the whole sentence:

“Give it to whoever needs it.” (whoever needs it: he needs it → subject)
“The man who I think is the manager…” (he is the manager → who)
“The man whom I met yesterday…” (I met him → whom)

Whoever and whomever follow the same rule.

Is “whom” dying out?

In everyday speech and casual writing, most people use who for both: “Who did you call?” sounds natural and is widely accepted. Whom is still expected in formal writing, legal documents, academic essays, and fixed phrases like “To whom it may concern.”

A practical rule:

Formal writing: use whom where it’s correct.
Conversation and texts: who is fine.
Never use whom as a subject; “Whom is calling?” is wrong in any style.

For more grammar basics, see what a verb is and what an adjective is.