# how

> English word · Adverb · IPA /haʊ/ · frequency rank #67

## Definitions
1. To what degree or extent.
2. In what manner
3. In what manner:
4. In what manner:
5. In what manner:
6. In what manner:
7. In what manner:
8. In what manner:
9. In what state or condition.
10. In the manner in which.
11. In any manner in which; in whatever way; however.
12. In which.
13. Used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings in an exclamation.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-
Proto-Indo-European *kʷís
Proto-Germanic *hwō
Old English hū
Middle English how
English how
From Middle English how, hou, hu, hwu, from Old English hū, from Proto-West Germanic *hwō, from Proto-Germanic *hwō (“through what, how”), from the same root as hwæt (“who, what”). /hw/ > /h/ due to wh-cluster reduction in Old English; compare who, which underwent this change later, and thus is spelt wh (Middle English spelling of /hw/) but pronounced /h/ (it previously had a different vowel, hence avoided the spelling and sound change in Old English). Vowel change per Great Vowel Shift.
Akin to Scots hoo, foo (“how”), North Frisian ho, hü, hur (“how”), Saterland Frisian wo (“how”), West Frisian hoe (“how”), Dutch hoe (“how”), Low German ho, wo, wu (“how”), German wie (“how”), Swedish hur (“how”). See who and compare why.

## Easily confused with
- **HR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hr)
- **HP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hp)
- **HQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hq)
- **Hu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hu)
- **hv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hv)
- **huh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-huh)
- **hug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hug)
- **hub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hub)
- **hut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hut)
- **hum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hum)
- **hue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hue)
- **hun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hun)
- **HUD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hud)
- **hwy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hwy)
- **hua** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hua)
- **hye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hye)
- **hui** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hui)
- **HPV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hpv)
- **hoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hoy)
- **HRC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/how-vs-hrc)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/how