Cool MateHow come you believe the woman's vs What makes you think
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
How come you believe the woman's
What makes you think
| How come you believe the woman's | What makes you think | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //haʊ kʌm//🇺🇸 //haʊ kʌm// | 🇬🇧 //wɒt meɪks jʊ θɪŋk//🇺🇸 //wɑt meɪks jʊ θɪŋk// |
| Meaning | Why do you think the woman's that way? | A way to ask someone why they believe something. |
| Example | How come you believe the woman's story is true? | What makes you think that I would lie to you? |
| Register | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
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Frequently asked questions: How come you believe the woman's vs What makes you think
What's the difference between How come you believe the woman's and What makes you think?
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.
Which is more formal: How come you believe the woman's and What makes you think?
What makes you think is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: How come you believe the woman's and What makes you think?
What makes you think 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?
Can I use How come you believe the woman's and What makes you think interchangeably?
Not always. How come you believe the woman's and What makes you think 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.