# “how do you call it” or “what do you call it”



## dec-sev

Let’s suppose that a word in English slips my mind. For example “table”. So, I’m pointing to the table and asking my friend who is Englishman: “What do you call it in English?” Or should it be “How do you call…”?
I’ve searched in the forum for “how do you call” and “what do you call” and have found plenty of both variants in similar contexts. Are they both correct or not? I’m asking because I’ve failed to find a single thread where a native corrected “what” to “how” of vice versa. I myself would opt for “what”.
So, what  do you think?


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## Enloquecida

I think that How do you call it in English? is better than "What..." .


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## magicaltrevor

I would always say "What do you call that?" or "What is that called?"

"How do you call that?" does not sound like good English to me, though it would be understood.


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## Enloquecida

magicaltrevor said:


> I would always say "What do you call that?" or "What is that called?"
> 
> "How do you call that?" does not sound like good English to me, though it would be understood.


 
Really? I didn't know it..


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## magicaltrevor

Just to add to that, I would say, for example:

"*How* do you *say* XXX in Italian"

but

"*What* do you *call* a/an XXX in Italian"


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## Enloquecida

Now I understand, thanks 
I said that the best form was "How do you call it..?" '<... non-English ...>


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## Jaseis

In English it is best to use *'what'* in the place of *'how'*
In many European languages you say how.

<<...>>
How is that called?

A lot of the European's I speak to say, 'how do you call it'. It's not correct but it does, as already stated, get your point across.

It depends on what you are asking.
Asking about a sound or a method of *speech*
How do you say/pronounce 'Extraordinary'?
Asking about a word (normally in written language)
What does that mean?
Asking about an *object or person*
What do you call him, her, it?

Hopefully I helped


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## Enloquecida

Yes, yes, you helped me and I hope that you helped dec sev too


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## dec-sev

Enloquecida said:


> I think that How do you call it in English? is better than "What..." .


I don't know a single word of Italian, but I suppose, it's like in Spanish <<...>>. So, you Italians use "how" in this situatioin, as well as we Russians do, that's why many Russins tend to say "how do you call.." I mean when they speak English. Surprisingly, but nobody makes mistake saying "_What_ is your name". May be because it's the first phrase you learn when you study English


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## dec-sev

Enloquecida said:


> Yes, yes, you helped me and I hope that you helped dec sev too


Undoubtfully  Thanks a lot!


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## Jaseis

It seems to me that you understand now dec-sev 
You are correct in saying the Spanish use how.
English do not in this case.


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## GreenWhiteBlue

Enloquecida said:


> Now I understand, thanks
> I said that the best form was "How do you call it..?" because I know that "How" means Come and "What" Cosa...


 
It is not natural English to say "How do you call it?" to mean "What is the English word for that?", or "What is that called in English?" It is instead the sort of error that would immediately indicate that someone was not a native speaker. The only situation I could imagine in which "how do you call it?" is correct is if you are asking for information about the correct manner of summoning (or "calling") something.

_Farmer John: When I want my horse to come to me, I call it with my special horse-summoning call, and when I want my cow, I use my cow-summoning call._
_City Sue: And what about your pig? When you want your pig to come to you, *how do you call it*?_


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## Jaseis

GreenWhiteBlue said:


> It is not natural English to say "How do you call it?" to mean "What is the English word for that?", or "What is that called in English?" It is instead the sort of error that would immediately indicate that someone was not a native speaker. The only situation I could imagine in which "how do you call it?" is correct is if you are asking for information about the correct manner of summoning (or "calling") something.
> 
> _Farmer John: When I want my horse to come to me, I call it with my special horse-summoning call, and when I want my cow, I use my cow-summoning call._
> _City Sue: And what about your pig? When you want your pig to come to you, *how do you call it*?_




Very good point. I actually thought about how I could have worded after I made my post


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## LilMama

better use ''how do you call..''it sounds better


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## panjandrum

LilMama said:


> better use ''how do you call..''it sounds better


Hello LilMama - welcome to WordReference 

If you are talking about the original context of this thread, meaning "What is the English word for that," the native speakers above have given a very clear answer.  Asking "How do you call it?" very clearly marks you as a non-native.

GWB has explained that in some particular contexts the sentence "How do you call it?" is correct, but those contexts have nothing to do with asking for the English word for something.

_<<Moderator note.
This is the English Only forum.  Please keep discussion to English.  If you wish to discuss other languages, there are other forums. 
panjandrum >>_


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## BODYholic

dec-sev said:


> Let’s suppose that a word in English slips my mind. For example “table”. So, I’m pointing to the table and asking my friend who is Englishman: “What do you call it in English?” Or should it be “How do you call…”?
> I’ve searched in the forum for “how do you call” and “what do you call” and have found plenty of both variants in similar contexts. Are they both correct or not? I’m asking because I’ve failed to find a single thread where a native corrected “what” to “how” of vice versa. I myself would opt for “what”.
> So, what  do you think?



As mentioned by panjandrum,


> Asking "How do you call it?" very clearly marks you as a non-native.


 But that also implies that native speakers are likely to understand your question.

As an non-native speaker, I am in favor of "What" over "How". Not just because it sounds better or natural, but they are slightly different.

When you asked a "How" question, you are effectively asking for a method or some procedures. Referring to your example, If I am presented with that question, I would assume that you do not know and you also could not pronounce the word "table". You would like me to teach you how to emulate the sound of "table" one syllable at a time. This is akin to asking "How to shutdown a computer?". The answers come in steps.

On the contrary, a "What" question is relatively straight forward. You are expecting something precise and to the point.

I am not suggesting that you should stick to "xxx do you call?", since better choice has already been offered. I am just stating those minor differences between "What" and "How" based on the given context.


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## Jaseis

BODYholic said:


> As mentioned by panjandrum,
> But that also implies that native speakers are likely to understand your question.
> 
> As an non-native speaker, I am in favor of "What" over "How". Not just because it sounds better or natural, but they are slightly different.
> 
> When you asked a "How" question, you are effectively asking for a method or some procedures. Referring to your example, If I am presented with that question, I would assume that you do not know and you also could not pronounce the word "table". You would like me to teach you how to emulate the sound of "table" one syllable at a time. This is akin to asking "How to shutdown a computer?". The answers come in steps.
> 
> On the contrary, a "What" question is relatively straight forward. You are expecting something precise and to the point.
> 
> I am not suggesting that you should stick to "xxx do you call?", since better choice has already been offered. I am just stating those minor differences between "What" and "How" based on the given context.



That's exactly what I was getting at earlier. How implies you want to know the method rather than the word.

Also, when asking _'What do you call *it*?'_, in most cases it's better, but not necessary, to say _'What do you call *that*?'_
The reason is that it sounds a lot more directed, native English and also more specific which can be a problem for non-native speakers. If the object is close enough and it's obvious about what you are asking about, use _that_ rather than _it_.


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## Sköll

I don't have any problem with using 'how' with 'call' (when it means to apply a name.) Some quotes:
How do you call this word in German? (Mark Twain; direct quote)
How do you call this lady who is going to sing? (Bernard Shaw; in fiction)
How do you call this place again?  (Joseph Conrad; in fiction)
Q: How do you call a man that dives into a swimming pool and that doesn't get his hair wet? 
A: A bald man! (Anonymous)


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## panjandrum

Sköll said:


> I don't have any problem with using 'how' with 'call' (when it means to apply a name.) Some quotes:
> How do you call this word in German? (Mark Twain; direct quote)
> How do you call this lady who is going to sing? (Bernard Shaw; in fiction)
> How do you call this place again?  (Joseph Conrad; in fiction)
> Q: How do you call a man that dives into a swimming pool and that doesn't get his hair wet?
> A: A bald man! (Anonymous)


Hmmm.
The first is a translation to English from a report in German (presumably) of what Mark Twain said in English.
The next two were spoken by characters whose origins are not immediately clear (one is probably Polish).
The fourth was written by Eduardo Marqes of Espinho.
... All of which supports the view that this usage is an indication of non-native English.


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## Welshie

I agree with panjandrum. "How do you call X" is not correct English for me. It is a mistake common among non-native speakers because of the prevalence of this structure in their own language. I think most Romance, Germanic and Slavic languages use this structure, at the very least.

Nonetheless, I would correct this to "What do you call X", because "How do you call X in German" sounds absolutely horrible to me. For me, "how" is analagous to "In what way", and so we come back to GreenWhiteBlue's pig.

My advice to non-native speakers : use "What do you call X". It is correct, it is natural, and it is the structure used by anglophones in 99% of cases. I do not believe that "How do you call X" is correct. Clearly certain other people do, but in my opinion they are in the minority, and if you are aiming to speak correct English, go with "what".


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## dec-sev

panjandrum said:


> Hmmm.
> The first is a translation to English from a report in German (presumably) of what Mark Twain said in English.


Exactly! And *Sköll* should have been more cautious saying that was a direct quote from Twain. Thank you for your post, panjandrum!!!


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## nattynitin

I think how do you call it is better than what do you call it*.*


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## sound shift

nattynitin said:


> I think how do you call it is better than what do you call it*.*


Why do you think that? "How do you call it?" is not English but a direct translation from various other languages.


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## Sköll

dec-sev said:


> Exactly! And *Sköll* should have been more cautious saying that was a direct quote from Twain.


Here is the full text:
"He [Twain] had entitled his speech, 'Die Schrecken der Deutschen Sprache' (the terrors of the German language). At times he would interrupt himself in English and ask, with a stuttering smile, 'How do you call this word in German' or 'I only know that in mother-tongue.' " (Albert Bigelow Paine,
Mark Twain: A Biography)



Welshie said:


> Clearly certain other people do, but in my opinion they are in the minority,...



That could very well be true.


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## panjandrum

Sköll said:


> Here is the full text:
> "He [Twain] had entitled his speech, 'Die Schrecken der Deutschen Sprache' (the terrors of the German language). At times he would interrupt himself in English and ask, with a stuttering smile, 'How do you call this word in German' or 'I only know that in mother-tongue." (Albert Bigelow Paine,
> Mark Twain: A Biography)
> ...


Think about this.
How far removed is the above quotation from what Mark Twain said?

In a speech in German, he lapsed into English and said XXXXX

It was reported, in German, in a Viennese newspaper.
In German?
Yes, because that would be natural and to reinforce the point the writer tells us that he spoke these sentences in English.  That would not be necessary if the actual newspaper report gave the sentences in English.

That article was then translated to English to appear in Paine's biography.

According to Paine, Twain uttered these sentences:
_How do you call this word in German.
I only know that in mother-tongue._
Would anyone seriously attribute these two sentences to Mark Twain?


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## Sköll

It seems Paine made a mistake in reporting the second quote correctly, dropping the word "my" in "my mother tongue". The quote attributed to Mark Twain appears in English in the original German article as reported here.


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## Cagey

Americans usually don't refer to their "mothertongue".  I don't think that was different in Twain's day.  It seems likely that in both this phrase and in "How do you call..." he was adapting his English to what he thought his German listeners would most easily understand.

I can imagine doing the same.


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## Eamnyc22

Welshie said:


> I agree with panjandrum. "How do you call X" is not correct English for me. It is a mistake common among non-native speakers because of the prevalence of this structure in their own language. I think most Romance, Germanic and Slavic languages use this structure, at the very least.
> 
> Nonetheless, I would correct this to "What do you call X", because "How do you call X in German" sounds absolutely horrible to me. For me, "how" is analagous to "In what way", and so we come back to GreenWhiteBlue's pig.


 
I agree. In American English, the question "what" is typically looking to be answered with a noun, and the question "how" is looking to be answered with a verb (which is why it is appropriate to say, "How do you _say_ [X]?" because you are looking to be answered with an explanation of how to _do_ something).

In any case, I would defer to the Hershey's company and their fine chocolate/peanut/caramel confection, the _Whatchamacallit_. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





_Howzamacallit_ just doesn't sound as tasty!


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## TommyGun

Hi,

Can we shorten "_How do you say (a,an) X_ _in English_?" to "_How to say (a,an) X in English?_"

And would it be acceptable to change _say/call_ to _be_ and say
_
What will (the word/a,an/-) X be in English?
What would X be in English?
__What is (it/that) in English?__
How will X be in English?
How would X be in English?
How is (it/that) in English?
_


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## Myridon

TommyGun said:


> Can we shorten "_How do you say (a,an) X_ _in English_?" to "_How to say (a,an) X in English?_"


No.  "How to say X in English?" is not a sentence as it has neither a  subject nor a verb.  It could however be used as a title. My essay is "How to Say  X in English". However, the essay would be about how to pronounce X not what the translation of X is.

_What will (the word/a,an/-) X be in English? _ A prediction about the future?
_ What would X be in English? _ Supposing that there isn't a word for X in English?
_What is _(the word for)_ (it/that) in English?__
How will X be in English? _ X will be very nice in English when it gets there in the future.
_ How would X be in English? _ Another unreal conditional?  How would carrots be in this soup (if we were to add them)?
_ How is (it/that) in English?_ It is very nice in English now.


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## TommyGun

Great! Myridon, thank you!


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## djmc

If you want to know how a word is pronounced one would say "How do you say thorough in English". If you want a translation one might say "What do you call a klotz in English" (random word taken from German dictionary).  The usual usage of *what do you call it* is such as "The what do you call it fell on top of him" "You mean the lathe" "That's it". It is used when one has either forgotten or never knew or temporarily cannot be bothered to think of a word. "Thingummy" is often used in the same way.


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## TommyGun

djmc said:


> If you want to know how a word is pronounced one would say "How do you say thorough in English"


Then what do "How do you say thorough in French?" and "How do you say klotz in English?" mean?


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## djmc

"How do you say thorough in English" might be asked by someone who speaks English but has not met the word before. This is not unusual. Through, though, tough, plough etcetera. It is the sort of thing that is not inherently obvious, children need a lot of teaching before they know the difference and there are some names, Clough for instance that are similar. If I ask "How do you say thorough in French?" I want a translation of the word into French; if I ask "How do you say klotz in English?" I want a translation into English.


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## JulianStuart

How do you say klotz in English?  Another, less ambiguous, version would be "What is the English word for klotz?"
How do you call klotz in English?


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## kalamazoo

I agree with the other native speakers.  Use "What do you call this" and don't use  "how do you call this."


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## Peter Tran

In Vietnam, we will use "how do you call it" for that structure as well because of the language's difference? but it's better to use the native English structures.


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## TommyGun

Myridon said:


> No.  "How to say X in English?" is not a sentence as it has neither a  subject nor a verb.  It could however be used as a title. My essay is "How to Say  X in English". However, the essay would be about how to pronounce X not what the translation of X is.


I'm just interested, can  one be thinking this way to himself?
_How to say X in English?_
along with, for example
_How can I say X in English_?


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## emanko

What about addressing someone?
Do we say, "how may I address you?" or "what may I address you?"


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## Copperknickers

emanko said:


> What about addressing someone?
> Do we say, "how may I address you?" or "what may I address you?"



It is a little old fashioned to say 'may' although not strictly incorrect: most people in the UK would say 'should' instead.

"How should I address you?"
"What should I address you."
"What should I address you *as*?"

I can't say I've ever had to ask someone else how to address them mind you, it is generally obvious unless you are meeting a member of the nobility.

If you want to know whether to use their first or second name, the general rule is to use their title followed by their second name (Ms Wilson, Mr Smith, Dr Jones, Professor McDonald) until told otherwise, with anyone who is older or more senior in rank than yourself.


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## emanko

Thank you.


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## GreenWhiteBlue

You would say "How may I address you?"  Note that you are asking for someone to describe a method of doing something, and that the answer uses the word "as":

_Servant:* How* may I address you?
Nobleman: You may address me *as* "Lord Vertblancbleu."
_
If you were asking for a name using "call", you need to use "what", and there is no "as":

_Nobleman: What do they call you, my good fellow?
Servant: They call me Humble Tom, my lord._


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## PaulQ

*How *may I ... =* In which manner *may I ...
*What* may I ... = *Of many options. *which may I ...
*Which* may I ... = *Of limited options,* which may I ...


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