Which of the following is correct?
- Which one do you want?
- What one do you want?
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closed as general reference by MetaEd♦, Matt E. Эллен♦, Mitch, tchrist♦, Kris Oct 11 '12 at 5:43
This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
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If you're offering a limited choice, then use which: "Which of these 25 models do you want (to buy/try/look at)?"
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But if there are endless possibilities, use what: "Now that you've won the lottery, what do you want to buy, a Rolls, a Benz, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini?"
"What one do you want?" isn't idiomatic English, but "Which one do you want?" is.
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In American English, which one is a common phrase. What one is not, and it sound very stilted.
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Which is used to refer to a specific object, while what is referring to a more general selection.
In your case, "which one" do you want is correct. You can also change it to be "what do you want".
