TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

What for vs For what

Both 'what for' and 'for what' are correct phrases in English, but they are used in different contexts. 'What for' is more commonly used in informal speech to ask about the purpose or reason for something, while 'for what' is used in more formal contexts or when the emphasis is on the 'what' part of the question.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 788 views

What for

The phrase 'what for' is correct and commonly used in informal speech to ask about the purpose or reason for something.

This phrase is used to ask about the reason or purpose of something. It is often used in informal conversations.

Examples:

What are you doing that for?
I don't understand what this is for.
What are you studying for?
What are you saving up for?
What did you buy that for?

Show examples from the web [+]

What for? I was dead already.
What for you object to live in palace?
Probably on a tenner a day, and I know what for.
Does it say what for, specifically?
What for, if he's dead?
- What for they shoot me, Miss Hannah?
What for? - We must act, not pray.
- What for you do that, sir?
And I think it might be a good idea to let him take a look at you What for?
Because if you don't, I'll cut you off this team quicker than you can say, "What for?"
I knew they were testing me but I never knew what for.
To muddy the water, that's what for.
I don't bother asking who's sending what and what for.
Okay, fine, but if I just fought my way out of an underground Siberian prison, I'd kind of want to know what for.
Your son is about to be arrested, and I know what for.
I can tell when I'm being used, Frank. I just want to know what for.
You're the most famous woman in America, that's what for.
Should I ask you what for, or should we...
I don't know what for, but I am trying to apologize.
I feel like I'm being used, and I don't even know what for.

Alternatives:

why
what is the reason for
what is the purpose of
what is the use of
what is the point of

For what

The phrase 'for what' is also correct, but it is used in more formal contexts or when the emphasis is on the 'what' part of the question.

This phrase is used to ask about the reason or purpose of something, but it is typically used in more formal settings or when the emphasis is on the 'what' part of the question.

Examples:

For what purpose was this decision made?
For what reason did you choose that option?
For what cause are you fighting?
For what event are you preparing?
For what project are you allocating resources?

Show examples from the web [+]

For what a drug made her do.
For what it could do to our lives if people knew.
For what you've just been through.
For what you did in the cast room.
For what you did to my...
For what it's worth, it was her loss entirely.
For what I knew was mine.
For what happened at the village.
For what you did to his father.
For what you said back there about my photo.
For what we're trying to do here together.
For what seems like a second...
For what it's worth, I was young.
For what it's worth, kort denied agency involvement.
For what these people are doing, they deserve to die.
For what happened at the house?
For what it's worth, Yankton's afraid of Bullock.
For what the regiment did in Normandy.
For what happened between us in high school.
For what I heard while I was there.

Alternatives:

why
what is the reason for
what is the purpose of
what is the use of
what is the point of

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!