The sentences "What can I help?" and "How can I help?" do not have the same meaning, and one of them is not grammatically correct. "What can I help?" – This is incorrect. The verb "help" usually requires a direct object when used in this way (e.g., "What can I help with?"). "How can I help?" – This is correct and commonly used. It means you are asking in what way or manner you can assist someone. If you're asking for help, you can simply say "Please help" as you wrote at the end.

Both of the AI answers copied and pasted below failed to point out that the natural question would be, "What can I do to help?" AI is not the best source for topics with lots of subtlety like grammar and collocations.

The phrases "What can I help?" and "How can I help?" do not have the same meaning. In fact, "What can I help?" is not grammatically correct. Here’s the difference: 1. "How can I help?" – This is the correct phrase. It means you are asking in what way or manner you can assist someone. It’s a polite, open-ended offer to help. * Example: "How can I help with the project?" 2. "What can I help?" – This construction is incorrect. If you want to use "what," the correct phrasing would be something like: * "What can I help with?" – This is asking specifically about what task or thing you can assist with. So, the proper choice depends on what you're asking: * Use "How can I help?" for a general offer. * Use "What can I help with?" to ask about a specific task.