In this post, we’ll look at the difference between neither and either.
Table of Contents
Pronunciation of “Either”
First things first, let’s look at the pronunciation.
You can say it with a long /i:/ like “bee” or the name of the letter “e” so it sounds like ee-ther.
You can also say it with an /aɪ/ as in “ice”, or the name of the letter “i” so it sounds like ah-y-ther.
It doesn’t matter which one you use, and you’ll probably even find people switching between both! The stress is on the first syllable.
How to Use “Either” in a Sentence
Now that pronunciation is sorted, let’s have a look at some examples to help us understand!
“I don’t like English grammar,” said Bob.
“I don’t like it either,” agreed Jane.
Either can mean “also.” Bob doesn't like English grammar. Jane also doesn't like English grammar.
Even if the sentence is negative, you can use still use “either” as long as there is” don’t like” like in the example above.
How to Use “Neither” in a Sentence
There's is also another way to say the same thing using “neither” instead of “either.”
“I don’t like English grammar,” said Bob.
“Neither do I,” agreed Jane.
Bob has given a negative statement, and Jane has agreed. Neither means not either, so we don’t need to negate the verb like “don't like” – because that would be double negatives, and double negatives don't sound good in English!
Okay?
So if someone says, “I don't like scary movies” and if you agree, you can say it in these ways.
- ✅ “I don't like it either.”
- ✅ “Neither do I.”
- ✅ “Me too.”
But don't say these sentences in this situation. These are grammatically wrong and they won't make sense.
- ❌ “I like it neither.”
- ❌ “Either do I.”
- ❌ “You too.”
Choosing Between Two Options
Either and neither can also be used for a choice. Look at the short conversation below:
Dialogue
Bob: “What do you want to do today?”
Jane: “We could either go shopping or go to a park. Which would you prefer?”
Bob: “Hmm… Neither. Actually, can we stay home and watch TV?”
Jane has offered two choices, and so she has used either. Bob doesn’t want to do either option, so he has replied neither.
Remember, neither means not either. He could also have said, “I don’t want to do either (one)” which means he doesn't want to do one or the other.
Wrap-up
OK, so now we’ve got two ways we can use either or neither.
One is for agreeing with a statement, and the second way is for making choices.
Next time you have a conversation with an English speaking friend, see what phrases they use to agree with you. Do they use either or neither?
Just remember that neither is not either. It is used to agree with negative statements, or decline a choice.
Either is positive, and so it is used to agree with positive statements or to offer or make a choice.