Difference between "question" and "query"

Solution 1:

Query noun

1. a question, esp one expressing doubt, uncertainty, or an objection
2. a less common name for question mark

verb

3. to express uncertainty, doubt, or an objection concerning (something)
4. to express as a query ⇒ “What's up now?” she queried
5. (US) to put a question to (a person); ask

Question noun
_{(the first five uses are listed but there are a total of fifteen.)}

1. a form of words addressed to a person in order to elicit information or evoke a response; interrogative sentence
2. a point at issue ⇒ "it's only a question of time until she dies",
3. a difficulty or uncertainty; doubtful point ⇒ "a question of money", "there's no question about it"
4. (a) an act of asking (b) an investigation into some problem or difficulty
5. a motion presented for debate by a deliberative body

verb

16. to put a question or questions to (a person); interrogate
17. to make (something) the subject of dispute or disagreement
18. to express uncertainty about the validity, truth, etc, of (something); doubt

Source: Collins Dictionary

Differences between question and query as nouns

• You ask a question. NOT *You ask a query. ( * = incorrect)
• You answer a question. NOT *You answer a query.
• There are 10 multiple-choice questions on the exam. NOT *There are 10 multiple-choice queries on the exam.
• How to write a query letter. NOT *How to write a question letter.
• We regret that we cannot deal with queries on individual cases. (formal)
• An exam/test question. NOT *An exam/test query
• He popped the question (make a proposal of marriage). NOT *He popped the query.
• Results of the query. Not *Results of the question
• (idiom) Something begs the question ¹. NOT *Something begs the query.
• The question arises as to whether… _{^{(OXFORD LEARNERS DICTIONARY)}}

Common collocations with question: - probing - direct - straight - difficult - personal - loaded - rhetorical - controversial - awkward - embarrassing - inane - silly - tricky

Common collocations with query: - specific - separate

When the nouns question and query are synonymous

• You submit queries or questions.
• You raise queries/questions
• If you have any questions/queries, please contact us.
• You reply/respond to a question/query.
• I would like to put a question to … (formal)
• I would like to put a query to … (very formal)
• Have you any questions/queries about…?

Differences between question and query as verbs

Query is more formal and slightly outdated, and can be substituted with either question or the more common reporting verb, ask.

• She queried whether three months was long enough.
• "Any chance of a cup of tea?" he queried hopefully.
• She asked/questioned whether three months was long enough.
• "Any chance of a cup of tea?" he asked hopefully.

“He questioned hopefully” sounds a little odd to me, I doubt a native speaker would actually say this, although it might be acceptable in its written form.

Similarities between question and query as verbs

They are both transitive verbs and are sometimes interchangeable.

• The police officer questioned/queried him at some length.
• They questioned/queried her motives.

Solution 2:

Oxford online says:

Query

noun (plural queries)

a question, especially one expressing doubt or requesting information:
if you have any queries please telephone our office

[...]

verb (queries, querying, queried)

[reporting verb]
ask a question about something, especially in order to express one's doubts about it or to check its validity or accuracy

[...]

Solution 3:

Questions are more informal, broad, random, and can often be off-topic or out of context, spiraling into more discussion and debate. You've heard the phrase "begging the question", but not "begging the query"... this sums up the notion that questions can open up a can of worms, whereas I've yet to experience a query being so chaotic.

A query can be the action (verb) of submitting a question (noun). Queries are also used in computing as instructions you submit to a database to get results. I agree with Preteesh in that queries are more technical and exact: You send a query, you get a result. My personal interpretation is that there is not much creative thought involved in delivering an answer to a query, but there can be in answering a question.

Solution 4:

Query implies an official/technical doubt or question, whereas Question implies general question or doubt.

Query is a subset of Question.