Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not...
Weather vs. Whether
Another example of different words that sound alike is weather and whether. Even though they are similar sounding, their definitions are very different.
Weather is a noun that refers to the state of the atmosphere in terms of wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc. For example, “The weather is very nice today”. Weather is also an adjective that means affected by exposure to the weather. For example “As a result of all of the rain and wind that house is very weathered and does not look as nice as when it was first built”. Weather is also a verb that means to get through a tough time. For example, “If we stick together we can weather this tragedy.”
Whether is a conjunction (a word that connects words, phrases, clauses, and sentences) that introduces possibilities. Anywhere you can write whether you can also write if (the reverse of this is not always true). For example “Whether you like it or not you are taking a shower” and “Do you know whether (or not) Jake is arriving here tonight?”
Basically, if it has to do with rain or shine, use weather. If the word you are looking for opens up possibilities, use whether.
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