"How it works" vs "How does it work?"

Question

"How it works" vs "How does it work?"

Both "how it works" and "how does it work?" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "How it works" is a general statement or question about the functioning of something, while "how does it work?" is a more specific question asking for an explanation of the process or mechanism.

Last Updated: March 15, 2024

This phrase is used to ask about the general operation or mechanism of something without specifying details.

Examples:

I don't understand how it works.
Can you explain how it works?
He knows how it works.
She showed me how it works.
Let's figure out how it works.

Alternatives:

how something works
how things work
how that works
how this works
how everything works

This phrase is used to ask specifically for an explanation of how something operates or functions.

Examples:

Can you tell me how does it work?
I wonder how does it work.
How does it work in practice?
Could you explain how does it work?
Do you know how does it work?

Alternatives:

how does something work?
how does that work?
how does this work?
how does everything work?
how does things work?

Answer 1

How it works

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to inquire about the general functioning of something.

Answer 2

How does it work?

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to ask for a detailed explanation of the process or mechanism of something.

"How it works" vs "How does it work?"

How it works

How does it work?

Related Comparisons