I noticed that in some anime (specifically, the Ace Attorney anime), the
characters often switch between 何だと, 何ですと, and a few other slight variants.
What is the difference between them?
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expressions
What is the difference between 何だと and 何ですと?
何だと is a plain form while 何ですと is a polite form.
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2018-11-12T12:36:15.753
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Who said 何ですと?

何だと is a more common form, and it's used mainly in fiction by many male
speakers and "strong" female speakers. It usually sounds [more or less
accusatory](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/60016/5010).

何ですと is rarer, and it is virtually nonexistent in real-world conversations.
何ですと is used to show one's surprise (i.e., it's not accusatory), and it is
mainly used by a sycophantic character who tends to feign politeness. In _Ace
Attorney_ , 亜内 (Winston Payne) is the typical character who may well use 何ですと.
You may also see other speakers say 何ですと jokingly/comically. If 成歩堂 (Phoenix
Wright) said 何ですと, it sounds comical.
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