Either means one of two options: "Either Tuesday or Thursday works for me." Neither means not one and not the other: "Neither Tuesday nor Thursday works." Neither is just "not either" — the n at the front carries the negative.
Hold on to one equation and most of this pair takes care of itself: neither = not either. The n supplies the negative, which is why neither never needs another negative word beside it.
How to use either
- "You can pay by card or cash — either is fine."
- "Either the printer or the driver is faulty."
- "There were chairs on either side of the door." (here it means each of two)
- "I don't like it either."
Its partner word is or: either... or.
How to use neither
- "Neither candidate impressed the panel."
- "Neither the manager nor the assistant was available."
- "He doesn't smoke, and neither do I."
Its partner word is nor: neither... nor. Pairing neither with or is a common slip — "neither the manager or the assistant" should be nor.
The test
Try rewriting the sentence with "not either". If it means the same, you want neither: "Neither answer is right" = "not either answer is right". If the sentence is already negative elsewhere — it contains not, don't, never — then you want either, because one negative is enough.
- "I don't want either of them." (correct)
- "I don't want neither of them." (double negative — non-standard)
Agreement, honestly
The traditional rule is that both words are singular: "Neither of the reports was ready." That is what formal writing and examiners still expect, and it is worth following in anything edited.
In practice, plural agreement after neither of and either of is extremely common in speech and in respectable published prose: "Neither of them were interested." It has a long pedigree and does not read as an error to most people. Know the traditional rule, use it in formal work, and do not assume the plural is illiterate.
With neither... nor, the verb conventionally agrees with the nearer subject: "Neither the players nor the coach was to blame" — but "Neither the coach nor the players were to blame."
The tag at the end
For agreeing with a negative statement, use either after a negative verb, or neither with inversion. "I haven't seen it either" and "Neither have I" both work; "I haven't seen it neither" does not.
Both words have two accepted pronunciations. Neither is more correct than the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it "neither... or" or "neither... nor"?
"Neither... nor." Either pairs with or; neither pairs with nor. "Neither the letter nor the email arrived."
Is it "me neither" or "me either"?
Both are heard. "Me neither" is the more widely accepted informal reply to a negative statement; "me either" is common in American speech. In writing, "Neither do I" or "I don't either" is safer.
Is "neither of them were" wrong?
Strictly, the traditional rule calls for was, and formal writing should use it. But were after neither of is very common in good published prose and will not strike most readers as an error.