The phrases “who to contact” and “whom to contact” are both found in English, but they differ in grammatical formality. Traditionally, whom is the objective form of who, so “whom to contact” is the formally traditional choice when the person being contacted is the object of contact.
However, who is overwhelmingly more common in everyday modern English. As a result, “who to contact” is natural and widely accepted, especially in conversation, emails, websites and other informal or neutral contexts. “Whom to contact” is more formal and may be preferred in highly formal writing.
Quick Answer
Both who to contact and whom to contact can be used.
- Who to contact → natural, common, and widely used in modern English.
- Whom to contact → grammatically traditional and more formal.
Examples:
I don’t know who to contact. ✅
I don’t know whom to contact. ✅
For most everyday situations, who to contact is the more natural choice.
Why People Confuse It
The confusion comes from the traditional distinction between who and whom.
Traditionally:
- Who = subject
- Whom = object
Consider:
Who contacted you?
Here, who performs the action.
But:
You contacted whom?
Here, whom receives the action.
In “who to contact,” the person is the object of the verb contact. Therefore, traditional grammar favors whom.
However, modern English frequently uses who instead of whom, especially in ordinary conversation.
Who to Contact
Who to contact is the most natural choice for everyday modern English.
Examples:
- I don’t know who to contact.
- Can you tell me who to contact?
- Do you know who to contact about this issue?
- I’m not sure who to contact for help.
- She asked me who to contact.
This form is especially common in:
- Everyday conversation
- Emails
- Customer service messages
- Websites
- Workplace communication
- Informal writing
Why Is “Who” Acceptable?
English has been gradually reducing the use of whom in many contexts. In modern usage, who is often used even when traditional grammar would call for whom.
Therefore:
I don’t know who to contact.
sounds completely natural to most English speakers.
Whom to Contact
Whom to contact follows the traditional grammatical distinction.
Because contact is a transitive verb, the person being contacted is its object:
contact whom
Therefore:
whom to contact
is grammatically formal and traditionally correct.
Examples:
- I don’t know whom to contact.
- Please let me know whom to contact.
- The website explains whom to contact for technical support.
- She asked whom to contact about the application.
This version can sound formal, old-fashioned, or overly careful in casual conversation.
Who to Contact vs. Whom to Contact Comparison Table
| Expression | Grammar | Style | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who to contact | Modern/common usage | Neutral | I don’t know who to contact. |
| Whom to contact | Traditional objective form | Formal | I don’t know whom to contact. |
| Who should I contact? | Modern/common | Neutral | Who should I contact? |
| Whom should I contact? | Traditional/formal | Formal | Whom should I contact? |
When to Use Each
Use “who to contact” in everyday English
For most situations, who to contact is the easiest and most natural option.
Examples:
Do you know who to contact?
I’m not sure who to contact.
Can you tell me who to contact?
This is especially appropriate when you want your writing to sound natural and conversational.
Use “whom to contact” in formal writing
Whom to contact can be appropriate in particularly formal contexts.
For example:
Please indicate whom to contact in the event of an emergency.
The document explains whom to contact regarding complaints.
It may also be useful when following a strict traditional grammar style.
Examples (10+)
Who to Contact
- I don’t know who to contact.
- Can you tell me who to contact?
- Do you know who to contact about this problem?
- I’m not sure who to contact for assistance.
- She asked me who to contact.
- Please let me know who to contact.
- Do you know who to contact about the project?
- I need to find out who to contact.
- He wasn’t sure who to contact.
- The website tells customers who to contact for support.
Whom to Contact
- I don’t know whom to contact.
- Please tell me whom to contact.
- The letter explains whom to contact for further information.
- She asked whom to contact regarding the matter.
- The company provided instructions about whom to contact.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Thinking “who” is always wrong
It isn’t.
I don’t know who to contact.
is perfectly natural and widely accepted in modern English.
Mistake 2: Thinking “whom” is always necessary
Traditional grammar favors whom here, but modern English does not always require it.
Using whom in casual conversation can sometimes sound unnecessarily formal.
Mistake 3: Using “whom” simply to sound sophisticated
For example:
“Do you know whom to contact?”
is grammatically formal, but in an everyday conversation:
“Do you know who to contact?”
usually sounds more natural.
Mistake 4: Confusing “who” and “whom” with sentence position
Position alone doesn’t determine whether you should use who or whom. The grammatical role matters.
For example:
Who contacted you?
Who is the subject.
You contacted whom?
Whom is the object.
The “They vs Him/Her” Test
A traditional way to determine whether to use who or whom is to substitute:
- They → who
- him/her → whom
Consider:
You should contact him.
Because him is the object, traditional grammar says:
You should contact whom.
Therefore:
whom to contact
However, remember that modern English commonly uses who in this construction.
Is “Who to Contact” More Natural?
Yes, in most modern everyday contexts.
Compare:
I don’t know who to contact.
with:
I don’t know whom to contact.
Both are grammatically defensible, but the first is much more conversational and natural for most speakers.
If you’re writing an ordinary email to a colleague or asking someone a question, who to contact is usually the better choice.
American vs British English
Both American and British English use who to contact and whom to contact.
The main difference is register, not geography.
Who is common in ordinary modern English in both varieties.
Whom remains more common in formal, traditional, or carefully edited writing.
Similar Expressions
You may also want to compare:
- Who should I contact? vs Whom should I contact?
- Who did you contact? vs Whom did you contact?
- Who are you talking to? vs Whom are you talking to?
- Who to ask vs whom to ask
- Who to invite vs whom to invite
- Who to hire vs whom to hire
These follow the same general distinction between modern who usage and traditional whom usage.
Final Verdict
Both who to contact and whom to contact are acceptable, but they suit different styles.
Who to contact is the natural, common choice in modern English and is appropriate for most conversations, emails, and everyday writing.
Whom to contact follows traditional grammar because the person being contacted is the object of contact. It is more formal and may be preferred in highly formal or traditionally edited writing.
For most situations, you can safely use:
I don’t know who to contact.
FAQs
Is it “who to contact” or “whom to contact”?
Both are used. Who to contact is more common and natural in modern English, while whom to contact is more formal and follows traditional grammar.
Is “who to contact” grammatically correct?
Yes. Who to contact is widely accepted in modern English.
Is “whom to contact” grammatically correct?
Yes. Under traditional grammar, whom is the objective form because the person is the object of contact.
Should I use “who to contact” in an email?
Usually, yes. Who to contact sounds natural and professional in most workplace emails.
Is “whom to contact” more formal?
Yes. Whom to contact generally sounds more formal and traditional than who to contact.
Is “who should I contact?” correct?
Yes. Who should I contact? is extremely common in modern English.
Is “whom should I contact?” correct?
Yes. Whom should I contact? follows traditional grammar, although it sounds more formal than Who should I contact?
Which is better: “who to contact” or “whom to contact”?
For everyday modern English, who to contact is usually the better choice. Use whom to contact when a formal or traditional grammatical style is desired.
Conclusion
Who to contact and whom to contact express the same basic idea, but they differ in formality. Traditional grammar favors whom because the person being contacted is the object of the verb contact. Modern English, however, commonly uses who in this construction.
For natural everyday communication, “I don’t know who to contact” is the safest and most conversational choice. If you’re writing in a highly formal style or following traditional grammatical rules, “I don’t know whom to contact” is also correct.
Remember This
✅ Who to contact = Common, natural, modern English
✅ Whom to contact = Formal, traditional English
Quick rule: Use “who” for most everyday situations; use “whom” when you want a more formal or traditionally grammatical style.
