Cool MateHow about you vs What about you
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
How about you
Top 1,000 (very common)
What about you
Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: How about you
| How about you | What about you | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //haʊ əˈbaʊt juː//🇺🇸 //haʊ əˈbaʊt ju// | 🇬🇧 //wɒt əˈbaʊt juː//🇺🇸 //wɔt əˈbaʊt ju// |
| Meaning | a way to ask someone what they think or do | A question asking someone for their opinion or situation. |
| Example | I love hiking. How about you? | I love hiking on weekends. What about you? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| Collocations | ask how about you, say how about you, reply how about you | what about you, not much, what about you, what about you guys, what about you, though |
| Common mistakes | 'How about you?' is often omitted in replies., Sometimes confused with 'What about you?', Learners may forget to use it in follow-up questions. | Omitted 'what' in casual speech, saying just 'about you?', Used inappropriately in formal emails or letters., Confused with 'how about you?' in some contexts. |
| Usage notes | Use in conversations to invite someone's opinions or experiences. Avoid in very formal situations. | Used in conversations to invite someone to share their thoughts. Appropriate in both casual and formal settings, but can sound informal in professional contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: How about you vs What about you
What's the difference between How about you and What about you?
How about you: a way to ask someone what they think or do What about you: A question asking someone for their opinion or situation.
Which is more common: How about you and What about you?
How about you is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
How about you: I love hiking. How about you? What about you: I love hiking on weekends. What about you?
Can I use How about you and What about you interchangeably?
Not always. How about you and What about you are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.