Cool MateHow come you believe the woman's vs What makes you think vs Why
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
How come you believe the woman's
What makes you think
Why
| How come you believe the woman's | What makes you think | Why | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //haʊ kʌm//🇺🇸 //haʊ kʌm// | 🇬🇧 //wɒt meɪks jʊ θɪŋk//🇺🇸 //wɑt meɪks jʊ θɪŋk// | 🇬🇧 /["/waɪ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/waɪ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Why do you think the woman's that way? | A way to ask someone why they believe something. | A word used to ask for a reason or explanation. |
| Example | How come you believe the woman's story is true? | What makes you think that I would lie to you? | I asked her why she was late. |
| Register | Informal | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | - | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | ||
| Collocations | how come you think, how come you feel, how come she said | What makes you think that, What makes you think otherwise, What makes you think you know | ask why, wonder why, no reason why |
| Antonyms | - | - | because, therefore, so |
| Common mistakes | 'How come' is often confused with 'why'., Learners might forget to include 'you' in the question., Using 'how come' in formal situations. | Using 'think' without 'what makes you'—it sounds incomplete., Confusing it with 'What do you think?'—which asks for an opinion rather than reasoning. | Omitting 'why' in a question that needs it., Using 'why' in a statement instead of a question., Confusing it with 'when' or 'how'. |
| Usage notes | Used in casual conversations to ask for reasons. Not suitable for formal writing or speech. | Use this phrase when you want to inquire about someone's reasoning or justification for a belief. It's neutral in tone but can be perceived as challenging if used in a certain tone. | Used to inquire about reasons. Generally suitable for most contexts, but avoid in very formal writing. Often starts a question. |
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Frequently asked questions: How come you believe the woman's vs What makes you think vs Why
What's the difference between How come you believe the woman's, What makes you think, and Why?
How come you believe the woman's: Why do you think the woman's that way? What makes you think: A way to ask someone why they believe something. Why: A word used to ask for a reason or explanation.
Which is more common: How come you believe the woman's, What makes you think, and Why?
Why is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
How come you believe the woman's: How come you believe the woman's story is true? What makes you think: What makes you think that I would lie to you? Why: I asked her why she was late.
Can I use How come you believe the woman's, What makes you think, and Why interchangeably?
Not always. How come you believe the woman's, What makes you think, and Why 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.