What does it smell like?
How does it smell?
I think both of them are correct ways of asking what something smells like. But I feel that there is some difference between them. Can you please point that out?
What does it smell like?
How does it smell?
I think both of them are correct ways of asking what something smells like. But I feel that there is some difference between them. Can you please point that out?
The first question asks for a comparison:
What does it smell like?
Possible answers:
It smells like gingerbread.
It smells like fruity wine.
It smells like a cesspool.
The second question asks for a word describing the quality or goodness of the aroma:
How does it smell?
Possible answers:
It smells great!
It smells terrible.
It smells like a cesspool.
Okay, why did I use that last one for both questions? Because everyone knows a cesspool smells awful, so it works for the second question. It's essentially the equivalent of:
It smells awful – like a cesspool.