Can you weather this whether or no?

Which of the following sentences is correct?

1. I asked him weather or not he could help.
2. The weather report forecasts rain for today.
3. Weather or not I take an umbrella, I expect the whether shall be the same.
4. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

If you need a hint, two are correct and two are incorrect.

If you chose 2 and 4, you win! Sorry, I have no prizes. You just get the satisfaction of knowing how smart you are.

Definitions from Dictionary.com:

weath·er

  [weth-er]

noun

1.

the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.

2.

a strong wind or storm or strong winds and storms collectively: We've had some real weather thisspring.

3.

a weathercast: The radio announcer will read the weather right after the commercial.

4.

Usually, weathers. changes or vicissitudes in one's lot or fortunes: She remained a good friend in allweathers.

verb (used with object)

5.

to expose to the weather; dry, season, or otherwise affect by exposure to the air or atmosphere: toweather lumber before marketing it.

6.

to discolor, disintegrate, or affect injuriously, as by the effects of weather: These crumbling stoneshave been weathered by the centuries.

7.

to bear up against and come safely through (a storm, danger, trouble, etc.): to weather a severeillness.

8.

Nautical . (of a ship, mariner, etc.) to pass or sail to the windward of: to weather a cape.

9.

Architecture . to cause to slope, so as to shed water.

wheth·er

  [hweth-er, weth-]

conjunction

1.

(used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives, and sometimes repeated before the secondor later alternative, usually with the correlative or  ): It matters little whether we go or stay. Whether wego or whether we stay, the result is the same.

2.

(used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied or understood, or some clause orelement not involving alternatives): See whether or not she has come. I doubt whether we can do anybetter.

3.

Archaic. (used to introduce a question presenting alternatives, usually with the correlative or  ).

pronoun Archaic.

4.

which or whichever (of two)?

Idioms

5.

whether or no, under whatever circumstances; regardless: He threatens to go whether or no.

While the two words sound exactly the same when spoken, they have very different meanings, and should not be mixed up when writing as this will cause much confusion.

Lead Vs. Led

One of the most common mistakes I see is the confusion of "lead" and "led." It seems that many people don't know how to use these words. So here's a (hopefully) simple explanation.

Lead

This word has two meanings and two pronunciations.

1. Pronounced LEED.
verb (used with object)

1.

to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort: to lead a group on a cross-country hike.

2.

to conduct by holding and guiding: to lead a horse by a rope.

3.

to influence or induce; cause: Subsequent events led him to reconsider his position.

4.

to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.; bring: You can lead her around to your point of viewif you are persistent.

5.

to conduct or bring (water, wire, etc.) in a particular course.

This can also be a noun, as in someone who takes the lead, or a leash.

Pronounced LED.
noun

1.

Chemistry . a heavy, comparatively soft, malleable, bluish-gray metal, sometimes found in its naturalstate but usually combined as a sulfide, especially in galena. Symbol:  Pb; atomic weight:  207.19;atomic number:  82; specific gravity:  11.34 at 20°C.

2.

something made of this metal or of one of its alloys.

3.

a plummet or mass of lead suspended by a line, as for taking soundings.

4.

bullets collectively; shot.

5.

black lead or graphite.

As in, pencil lead.

Led

This word has only one meaning and one pronunciation.

verb

simple past tense and past participle of lead.

It is used in cases such as "Yesterday, I led the choir in singing 'Amazing Grace.'"

It is never correct to use "lead" as a past tense of itself. Do not say "Yesterday, I lead the choir in singing 'Amazing Grace.'" Bad. Very bad.

I see it all the time online, though. It drives me crazy, because I pronounce it LEED in my head, and then it sounds awful. "Are you aware of what leed to this?" Ugh. No. "Are you aware of what led to this?" Much better.

It's very simple: when it's a verb, it's spelled just how it sounds. Today, I lead. Yesterday, I led. Easy peasy.

Now, do it right. Please.

(All definitions from dictionary.com)