ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatedeterminerdeterminer
EithervsNeither
'Either' refers to one of two (any one); 'neither' refers to neither of the two.
Side-by-side comparison
Either
determiner"Either" has two uses: choosing freely between two options ("any one of the two works"), or adding to a negative statement ("me neither / I don't either"). Context makes it clear.
Either Tuesday or Wednesday works for the meeting, just let me know which you prefer.
I have read both proposals and either of them could work, they address the same core problem differently.
"I did not enjoy the conference.": "I did not enjoy it either."
Neither
determiner"Neither" negates both at once: not one and not the other. Use it with an affirmative verb because the negation is already built into the word: "neither of them was there".
Neither candidate fully addressed the main concern during the debate, both avoided the question.
She checked both the email and the calendar, but neither showed the meeting had been scheduled.
"I have not been to that restaurant.": "Neither have I, perhaps we should try it together."
Common mistake
- •"I don't like it neither" is a double negative in standard English and is wrong: with an already negative sentence, use "either" at the end ("I don't like it either").
- •"Neither" goes in affirmative sentences with negative meaning: "Neither do I".
Trick to remember it
- •Someone says something positive and you agree: "So do I" or "Me too".
- •Someone says something negative and you agree: "Neither do I" or "I don't either".
- •Never "I don't... neither", double negative.
Quick rule
- •"Either" = one of the two or any (positive/neutral).
- •"Neither" = none of the two (negative).
- •In negative sentences, use "either" at the end, not "neither".
Did you know?
In British English, "neither" and "either" are pronounced differently than in American English. British: "neither" = /ˈnaɪðə/ (NIGH-ther), "either" = /ˈaɪðə/ (EYE-ther). American: "neither" = /ˈniːðər/ (NEE-ther), "either" = /ˈiːðər/ (EE-ther). The British pronunciation with the /aɪ/ diphthong (as in "I") is historically the older form. The American pronunciation with the long /iː/ vowel (as in "see") was promoted by American spelling reformers in the 19th century. Both are correct in their respective varieties.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
"Would you like tea or coffee?" "_____, thank you. I'm fine with water."
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"Can we meet on Monday or Tuesday?" "_____ day works for me. You choose!"
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
MuchvsMany
"Much" is used with uncountable nouns (things that cannot be counted individually); "many" is used with countable nouns in the plural.
SomevsAny
"Some" is used in affirmatives and questions where "yes" is expected; "any" is used in negatives and neutral questions.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
A lot ofvsMany
'A lot of' works for countable and uncountable; 'many' only for countable; 'much' only for uncountable.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy