what it's like vs what it is like

Both "what it's like" and "what it is like" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "What it's like" is a contraction of "what it is like" and is more informal and conversational. "What it is like" is more formal and commonly used in written English.

Last updated: March 31, 2024

what it's like

This phrase is correct and commonly used in informal and conversational contexts.

This phrase is a contraction of "what it is like" and is used informally to inquire about someone's experience or perception of something.

Show examples from the web [+]

I know what it's like to be addicted.
You know what it's like to be sure.
Okay, then tell me what it's like.
I'm forgetting what it's like to be a grownup.
I let you experience what it's like to be Autolycus.
I understand what it's like to fight your true nature.
I know what it's like to miss someone.
Wonder what it's like to be 91.
Tell me what it's like, being pregnant.
You don't understand what it's like, trying to compete.
You know what it's like...
Tell us what it's like working together and dating.
Simone, I know what it's like to be betrayed.
I can talk to who really understands what it's like...
You've already experienced what it's like to have loved and lost.
So... I know what it's like to feel responsible.
That's what it's like with the Yankees.
Might as well ask me what it's like being Martha.
You know what it's like with these immigrant families.
We all know what it's like to hit bottom.

Alternatives:

what it is like
how it feels
how it seems
what the experience is like
what the situation is like

what it is like

This phrase is correct and commonly used in formal and written English.

This phrase is used in more formal contexts to inquire about someone's experience or perception of something.

Show examples from the web [+]

I know what it is like to be lonely.
I know what it is like to lose a loved one.
You know what it is like to have a son.
All of you who have destroyed my life will soon know what it is like to lose a loved one.
I need people to understand... what it was and what it is like.
Do you know what it is like not being attractive?
So I forve him when he bites me, because I know what it is like to never feel safe.
I know what it is like to suffer the wrath of my dad.
Like it or not, you will never know what it is like to be a black woman in America.
The English do not know what it is like to be occupied by an enemy.
Tell us what it is like up there.
And we cannot really know what it is like inside the prison that was once our embassy.
I can imigine what it is like, the godless priest.
I know what it is like to suffer the wrath of my dad.
I know what it is like to be around someone who's ill, and believe me...
I know what it is like to have obstacles in your path.
In Germany, many people in the Ruhr area know what it is like to have contaminated water.
So we know the feeling of what it is like when things go wrong.
As a trade unionist, I would expect the sports economy staging the Olympics in China to reveal what it is like for the female workforce there.
You're going to know what it is like. when someone powerful crushes you.

Alternatives:

what it's like
how it feels
how it seems
what the experience is like
what the situation is like

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what it's like vs what it is like

what it's like

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