Many of who or many of whom is a small grammar question, but it can cause a surprisingly big problem for English learners. Both who and whom are pronouns, and both can refer to people. The difficulty comes from knowing which one belongs after a word such as many Many of Who or Many of Whom.
You may hear sentences like, “She interviewed many of who?” and immediately wonder whether who or whom is correct. In everyday conversation, native speakers do not always follow traditional grammar rules strictly, which makes the situation even more confusing.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
The key point is simple: after many of, when the phrase refers to people and acts as the object of a verb or preposition, whom is normally the traditional grammatical choice. So, in formal English, many of whom is correct.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
For example:
She invited 20 students, many of whom were my friends.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Here, whom refers back to “20 students.” It is the object inside the phrase many of whom.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
However, there is an important detail. English is changing, and who is very common in informal speech. You may hear people say many of who, especially in casual conversation. That does not mean you should automatically use it in formal writing.
By the end of this guide, you will understand many of who or many of whom, why many of whom is usually correct, how to use it naturally, and how to avoid common mistakes.
What Does “Many of Who” Mean?
Many of who is generally considered nonstandard or grammatically incorrect in formal standard English when it is used to mean “many of which people.”
The confusion usually happens because English speakers often use who as a general word for people.Many of Who or Many of Whom. For example:
- Who is coming to the party?
- Who called you?
- Who wants some coffee?
In these sentences, who is the subject. It performs the action.
The problem appears when the pronoun is used after of in a structure such as:
many of ___
The word after of is functioning as the object of the preposition of. Many of Who or Many of Whom. Traditional grammar therefore uses whom, not who.
For example:
I met several teachers, many of whom had studied abroad.
Not:
I met several teachers, many of who had studied abroad.
Why Do People Say “Many of Who”?
There is a simple reason. Who is much more common in modern English than whom.
Many native speakers rarely use whom in casual conversation. They may naturally say:
Who did you talk to?
Traditional grammar may prefer:
Whom did you talk to?
Because who is so common, some speakers extend it into places where traditional grammar expects whom.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Still, for a grammar website, school assignment, formal email, academic writing, or professional document, many of whom is the safer and standard choice.
Grammar Rule for “Many of Who”
The important rule is this:
After the preposition “of,” use the object form “whom” when referring to people.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Compare:
- many of whom
- some of whom
- several of whom
- few of whom
- both of whom
- none of whom
This pattern is very useful.
For example:
We hired ten workers, many of whom had previous experience.
Here, whom refers to “workers.”
Examples of the Correct Pattern
Although many of who appears in informal speech and online writing, formal examples should normally use many of whom.
- I met several doctors, many of whom work at the same hospital.
- She has interviewed many writers, many of whom are award winners.
- The company hired 50 employees, many of whom had university degrees.
- We invited several guests, many of whom arrived early.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
- He knows many athletes, many of whom compete internationally.
- They visited several villages, many of whom—no, this is incorrect because “villages” are places, not people.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
The correct version is:
They met several villagers, many of whom were farmers.
- I have several classmates, many of whom live near my house.
- The teacher spoke to ten students, many of whom needed extra help.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Notice the pattern. The noun before the comma is usually a plural group of people, and whom connects the group to additional information.
Common Confusion
Students often think:
“People = who.”
That is not always true.
Who is generally used for a subject, while whom is traditionally used for an object.
Compare:
Who called you?
“Who” is doing the calling.
But:
Whom did you call?
“Whom” receives the action.
The same idea explains why many of whom works.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
What Does “Many of Whom” Mean?
Many of whom means a large number of the people just mentioned.
It is used to add information about some or many members of a group.
For example:
I have many friends, many of whom live abroad.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
This means that I have many friends, and a large number of those friends live abroad.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
The word whom refers back to friends.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
This structure is especially useful when you want to combine two related ideas into one smooth sentence.
Instead of writing:
I met many students. Many of the students were from Canada.
You can write:
I met many students, many of whom were from Canada.
The second version sounds smoother and more polished.
When Should You Use “Many of Whom”?
Use many of whom when:
- You are referring to people.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
- You have already mentioned the group.
- You want to describe a large number of people in that group.
- Whom functions as an object inside the phrase.
For example:
She knows many teachers, many of whom speak three languages.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
The phrase tells us that a large number of the teachers speak three languages.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
The Grammar Rule
The basic pattern is:
Plural people + , + many of whom + verb/complement
Examples:
I know several students, many of whom are excellent writers.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
We hired ten workers, many of whom have years of experience.
She invited many relatives, many of whom live nearby.
The word whom refers back to the plural noun.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Importantly, the verb after whom agrees with the noun represented by whom.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
For example:
Many of whom are doctors.
Not:
Many of whom is doctors.
8 Examples of “Many of Whom”
- I have several friends, many of whom live in Lahore.
- She interviewed 30 candidates, many of whom had strong qualifications.
- The university accepted hundreds of students, many of whom came from rural areas.
- We met several tourists, many of whom were visiting Pakistan for the first time.
- He has written many books, many of which became popular.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Notice that many of which is used for books because books are things, not people.
- The manager hired several employees, many of whom already had experience.
- I know many teachers, many of whom use technology in their classrooms.
- They invited dozens of guests, many of whom stayed until midnight.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
These examples show how naturally many of whom fits into formal and careful English.
Difference Between “Many of Who” and “Many of Whom”
The main difference is grammatical function.
In traditional standard English, whom is the object form of who. Since of is a preposition, the pronoun following it is traditionally written as whom.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
| Expression | Standard formal English | Main use |
|---|---|---|
| many of who | Generally nonstandard | Often heard in informal speech |
| many of whom | Correct | Refers to many people in a group |
| who | Subject form | Person doing an action |
| whom | Object form | Person receiving an action or following a preposition |
Example
The school has 500 students, many of whom play sports.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Here, whom refers to students.
You can understand the structure like this:
Many of the students play sports.
The relative pronoun replaces “the students”:
many of whom play sports.
Why “Whom” Is Correct
The preposition of is the easiest clue.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Look at these familiar combinations:
- one of them
- many of them
- some of them
- several of them
If you replace them with a relative pronoun referring to people, traditional grammar gives you:
- one of whom
- many of whom
- some of whom
- several of whom
So:
I have many friends, many of whom are teachers.
The construction is grammatically parallel to:
I have many friends, and many of them are teachers.
Meaning Difference
There is not normally a different intended meaning between many of who and many of whom when someone uses “many of who” to mean the same thing.
The main difference is standardness and grammatical form.Many of Who or Many of Whom.
Many of whom is the standard choice.
Many of who may occur because modern speakers often use who where traditional grammar uses whom.
Sentence Structure
The normal formal structure is:
Main clause + comma + many of whom + verb
Example:
She has many clients, many of whom live overseas.
Another structure is:
Main clause + preposition + whom
Example:
He has many colleagues, several of whom he works with every day.
The important thing is that whom refers to people already mentioned.
Grammar Rules You Must Remember
1. Use “Whom” After “Of” in Formal English
When a relative pronoun follows of, use whom when referring to people.
I know many students, many of whom speak English well.
This is one of the most useful rules for this topic.
2. Use “Who” When the Person Is the Subject
Use who when the person performs the action.
The woman who called me is my teacher.
The woman performs the action of calling.
Another example:
Students who study regularly usually improve faster.
The students perform the action of studying.
3. Use “Whom” When the Person Is the Object
Use whom when the person receives the action or follows a preposition in formal grammar.
The man whom I met was very polite.
“I” performed the action of meeting. The man received that action.
4. Learn the “Them” Test
This is an easy trick.
If them sounds correct, whom is often the traditional choice.
I spoke to them.
Therefore:
Whom did you speak to?
And:
many of them
becomes:
many of whom
This test is especially helpful for students.
5. “Whom” Does Not Mean “Many”
The word many tells us the number.
The word whom tells us that we are referring to people and using the object form.
For example:
many of whom
means:
many of those people.
6. Use “Which” for Things
Do not use whom for objects.
Incorrect:
I bought five phones, many of whom were expensive.
Correct:
I bought five phones, many of which were expensive.
For people:
I met five students, many of whom were from abroad.
This distinction is very important.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Mistake 1: Writing “Many of Who” in Formal Work
A common sentence is:
I met many students, many of who were tired.
For formal standard English, write:
I met many students, many of whom were tired.
The reason is that whom follows the preposition of.
Mistake 2: Thinking “Who” Is Always for People
It is true that who normally refers to people, but its grammatical job matters.
Compare:
Who came to the meeting?
Here, who is the subject.
But:
many of whom came to the meeting
uses whom after of.
The difference is not simply “people versus things.” It is also about subject and object position.
Mistake 3: Using “Whom” for Things
Students sometimes learn the rule too strongly and start using whom everywhere.
For example:
I visited several cities, many of whom were beautiful.
That is incorrect because cities are things or places.
Correct:
I visited several cities, many of which were beautiful.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the Comma
When many of whom adds extra information about a group, it is normally separated with a comma.
Correct:
We invited 40 people, many of whom arrived early.
The comma helps separate the main statement from the additional information.
Mistake 5: Confusing “Many of Whom” With “Many Who”
These are different structures.
Many who attended the meeting stayed late.
Here, who is the subject of “attended.”
But:
We invited 100 people, many of whom attended the meeting.
Here, whom follows of.
Both sentences can be correct, but their structures are different.
Easy Trick to Remember the Difference
Here is a simple classroom trick:
“Of” likes “whom.”
When you see:
many of ___
and the blank refers to people, think:
many of whom
You can also use the them test.
Say:
many of them
That sounds natural.
Now replace them with the relative pronoun:
many of whom
It works.
Try another example:
several of them
becomes:
several of whom
And:
some of them
becomes:
some of whom
This trick can save you a lot of confusion.
Another memory tip is:
Who = he/she.
Whom = him/her.
For example:
He called me. → Who called me?
I called him. → I called whom?
It is not a perfect test for every modern English sentence, but it is very useful for learning traditional grammar.
Daily Life Examples
Natural Spoken and Written Sentences
Here are examples you could actually see or hear in daily English.
1. At school
Our teacher selected ten students, many of whom were excellent speakers.
2. At work
The company hired 20 people, many of whom had previous experience.
3. Talking about friends
I have many friends, many of whom live in different cities.
4. At a family event
We invited many relatives, many of whom came from out of town.
5. Talking about a class
There are 30 students in my class, many of whom enjoy reading.
6. Talking about a conference
I met several professionals at the conference, many of whom work in technology.
7. Talking about travelers
We met many tourists, many of whom were taking photos.
8. Talking about a team
The coach selected several young players, many of whom had never played professionally.
9. Talking about customers
The shop has many regular customers, many of whom visit every weekend.
10. Talking about an event
Hundreds of people attended the event, many of whom stayed until the end.
These examples show that many of whom is not only an academic grammar phrase. It can be useful whenever you want to describe members of a group.
Practice Section
Choose the Correct Option
Try answering these before checking the answers.
1. I know several doctors, many of ___ work at this hospital.
- A) who
- B) whom
2. She invited 50 guests, many of ___ arrived early.
- A) who
- B) whom
3. He met several students, many of ___ were from Germany.
- A) who
- B) whom
4. The woman ___ helped me was very kind.
- A) who
- B) whom
5. We interviewed many candidates, several of ___ had excellent qualifications.
- A) who
- B) whom
Answers
1. Whom — “many of whom” is the standard formal construction.
2. Whom — The phrase follows of, so formal English uses whom.
3. Whom — “whom” refers back to the students.
4. Who — “who” is the subject of “helped.”
5. Whom — “several of whom” is the correct formal pattern.
A quick review gives you the main idea:
many of whom = many of those people.
FAQs
What is the difference between “many of who” and “many of whom”?
Many of whom is the standard grammatical form in formal English. Many of who is generally considered nonstandard in this construction, although it can be heard in informal speech. Use many of whom in school, academic, professional, and formal writing.
Can we use “many of whom” in a question?
Yes, but it is more common in a longer question or embedded structure.
For example:
Do you know the students, many of whom are studying abroad?
The phrase many of whom can appear naturally inside a question when it adds information about a group.
Is “many of whom” formal or informal?
Many of whom is more common in formal or careful English. It is especially useful in academic writing, reports, articles, and professional communication. In casual conversation, people often avoid whom and choose a different sentence structure.
Is “many of who” ever used?
Yes. You may find many of who in informal speech, online writing, or language produced by speakers who do not maintain the traditional who/whom distinction. However, if you are writing for school or a professional audience, many of whom is the safer choice.
Can I say “many who” instead of “many of whom”?
Sometimes, but the grammar is different.
For example:
Many who attended the meeting left early.
Here, who is the subject of “attended.”
But:
We invited many people, many of whom attended the meeting.
Here, whom follows “of.” Do not treat the two structures as identical.
Should I always use “whom”?
Not necessarily. Modern English often uses who in places where traditional grammar recommends whom, especially in conversation.
However, learning whom is still valuable because phrases such as many of whom, some of whom, both of whom, and one of whom are common in formal writing.
Conclusion
The choice between many of who or many of whom becomes much easier when you understand the role of the pronoun.
In formal standard English, the correct expression is many of whom when you are talking about people. The word whom follows the preposition of and refers back to a group already mentioned.
For example:
I have many friends, many of whom live abroad.
Remember the simple trick: “of” likes “whom.” You can also use the “them” test. If you would naturally say many of them, the traditional relative-pronoun form is many of whom.
At the same time, do not panic when you hear who in everyday speech. Modern English is flexible, and many speakers no longer use whom consistently.
For exams, formal writing, academic work, and professional English, however, many of whom is the clear and reliable choice. Practice this pattern with real sentences, and soon it will feel natural rather than confusing.
Hi, I’m Isabella Foster, an English language writer passionate about making grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills easy to understand. At EnglishVistor, I create clear, practical, and engaging learning resources to help learners improve their English with confidence.
