Either or Neither: When to Use Each Word Correctly

Either and neither look simple, but they can be confusing when you have to choose between them.

Should you say either, neither, either…or, or neither…nor? And what about common replies such as “me either” and “me neither”?

The good news is that the basic difference is easy to remember. Either usually points to one of two choices, while neither means not one and not the other.

Their meanings become clearer when you see them in real sentences.

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Either or Neither Meaning

Either and neither are used when talking about two people, things, choices, or possibilities.

Either

Either usually means one of two choices.

You can choose either answer.

This means that one answer can be chosen.

It can also mean one or the other:

Either road will take you to the town.

Both roads are possible choices.

Neither

Neither means not one and not the other.

Neither answer is correct.

This means that both answers are incorrect.

A simple way to remember the difference is:

Either = one of two
Neither = not one and not the other

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Either or Neither Grammar

The main grammar patterns are:

• either…or → one choice or the other
• neither…nor → not one choice and not the other

Either…or

Use either…or when presenting two alternatives.

You can either call me or send me a message.

We can either leave now or wait until tomorrow.

Either Sarah or Emily will attend the meeting.

Neither…nor

Use neither…nor when both choices are rejected.

Neither Sarah nor Emily attended the meeting.

I like neither tea nor coffee.

Neither answer is correct.

A useful rule is:

Either goes with or. Neither goes with nor.

So avoid these combinations in standard English:

❌ either…nor
❌ neither…or

Use:

✅ either…or
✅ neither…nor

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Either and Neither Examples

Here are some simple examples that show the difference.

Sentence	Meaning
You can choose either book.	One of the two books is okay.
You can take either bus.	One of the two buses will work.
Neither book is interesting.	Both books are uninteresting.
Neither bus goes there.	Both buses fail to go there.
Either John or Mark will call.	One of them will call.
Neither John nor Mark will call.	Both will not call.

The key is to focus on whether you are choosing one option or rejecting both options.

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Either of and Neither of

Both words can be followed by of.

Either of

Either of means one of two people or things.

Either of the answers is acceptable.

Either of them can help you.

Either of these options will work.

Neither of

Neither of means not one of two people or things.

Neither of the answers is correct.

Neither of them knows the answer.

Neither of these options works for me.

Notice that neither of does not mean “both.” It means not this one and not that one.

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Either or Neither and Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement can become tricky with either…or and neither…nor, especially when the two subjects have different numbers.

When the subjects are different in number, the verb generally agrees with the subject closer to it.

Examples

Either the teacher or the students are responsible.

The verb are agrees with the nearby plural subject, students.

Either the students or the teacher is responsible.

Here, is agrees with the nearby singular subject, teacher.

The same pattern applies to neither…nor:

Neither the manager nor the employees are available.

Neither the employees nor the manager is available.

This is one of the most common grammar problems with either and neither.

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Either as an Adverb

Either has another important use. In a negative sentence, it can mean also.

I don’t like coffee either.

This means:

I also don’t like coffee.

Here, either does not mean “one of two.”

Compare:

You can choose either cake.

Here, either means one of two.

But:

I don’t want cake either.

Here, either means also not.

Understanding this second use makes many everyday sentences easier to understand.

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Neither as an Adverb

Neither can also be used to agree with a negative statement.

For example:

“I don’t like coffee.”
“Neither do I.”

The second person is saying:

I don’t like coffee either.

You can use the same structure with different verbs:

“I can’t swim.”
“Neither can I.”

“I’m not ready.”
“Neither am I.”

“I haven’t seen it.”
“Neither have I.”

This structure is common in everyday English.

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Either or Neither: “Me Either” or “Me Neither”?

This is one of the most common questions about these words.

When someone makes a negative statement and you want to say that you feel the same, “me neither” is the standard choice.

For example:

“I don’t like horror movies.”
“Me neither.”

“I can’t drive.”
“Me neither.”

However, “me either” is also heard in informal American English. It is common in casual conversation, but “me neither” is the clearer standard choice when agreeing with a negative statement.

For formal writing, you can use:

Neither do I.

or:

I don’t either.

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“I Can’t Wait, Me Either” or “Me Neither”?

The correct choice depends on what the first person means.

If someone says:

“I can’t wait for the concert!”

This is a positive statement. They mean they are very excited about it.

A natural reply is:

Me either is common in some informal speech, especially in American English, but “me neither” does not fit the positive meaning in the same way.

A clearer reply would be:

Me too!

or:

I can’t wait either!

However, if someone says:

“I can’t wait any longer.”

That is a negative statement. A natural response is:

Me neither.

So always look at the meaning of the first sentence before choosing the response.

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“I Don’t Either” or “Neither Do I”?

Both can be correct, but they are used in slightly different sentence structures.

I don’t either

I don’t like tea either.

This is a normal negative sentence.

Neither do I

“I don’t like tea.”
“Neither do I.”

This is a short way to agree with someone else’s negative statement.

Compare:

I don’t like tea either.

and:

Neither do I.

Both express the idea that you also do not like tea.

The second form uses the auxiliary verb do before the subject, which creates the familiar structure neither do I.

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How to Use Either or Neither

A simple method is to ask yourself what you mean.

If you mean one of two:

Use either.

Either answer is acceptable.

If you mean not one and not the other:

Use neither.

Neither answer is acceptable.

If you are giving two alternatives:

Use either…or.

You can either stay here or come with us.

If you are rejecting both alternatives:

Use neither…nor.

You can choose neither the red one nor the blue one.

If you are agreeing with a negative statement:

Use neither do I, neither can I, neither am I, and similar forms.

“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I.”

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Either or Neither Exercises

Try these sentences before checking the answers.

Choose Either or Neither

1. You can choose ___ option.
2. ___ answer is correct.
3. I don’t like coffee, and I don’t like tea ___.
4. ___ John nor Mike attended the meeting.
5. ___ Sarah or Emma will present the project.
6. ___ of the two plans seems useful.
7. “I can’t swim.” — “___ can I.”
8. We can ___ leave now or wait until later.

Answers

1. either
2. neither
3. either
4. neither
5. either
6. neither
7. Neither
8. either

Why?

1. Either option means one of the two options is acceptable.

2. Neither answer means both answers are incorrect.

3. Don’t like tea either uses either to mean “also” in a negative sentence.

4. Neither John nor Mike rejects both people as possibilities.

5. Either Sarah or Emma gives two possible choices.

6. Neither of the two plans means both plans are unsuitable.

7. Neither can I agrees with a negative statement.

8. Either leave now or wait presents two alternatives.

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Common Mistakes With Either and Neither

1. Using “neither…or”

❌ Neither John or Mark came.

✅ Neither John nor Mark came.

Use neither…nor.

2. Using “either…nor”

❌ Either tea nor coffee is available.

✅ Either tea or coffee is available.

Use either…or.

3. Using a double negative

❌ I don’t like neither option.

This contains two negative ideas.

Better:

✅ I like neither option.

or:

✅ I don’t like either option.

4. Confusing either with both

Either normally refers to one of two choices, not both.

You can take either road.

This means one road or the other.

If you mean both roads, say:

You can take both roads.

5. Confusing neither with none

Neither normally refers to two.

Neither of the two answers is correct.

For more than two things, none is usually the better choice.

None of the five answers is correct.

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Either or Neither: A Quick Comparison

Word or structure	Meaning	Example
either	one of two	Either answer works.
neither	not one or the other	Neither answer works.
either…or	one alternative or the other	Either call or email me.
neither…nor	both alternatives are rejected	Neither John nor Mark came.
either at sentence end	also, in a negative sentence	I don’t like it either.
neither do I	also not	“I don’t know.” “Neither do I.”

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How Do Americans Say “Either”?

In American English, either is commonly pronounced in two ways:

• EE-ther
• EYE-ther

Both pronunciations are widely recognized.

For example:

Either answer is fine.

The pronunciation may vary from speaker to speaker. Neither pronunciation changes the meaning or spelling of the word.

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What Does “Neither” Mean?

Neither means not one and not the other when talking about two choices or possibilities.

For example:

Neither answer is correct.

This means both answers are incorrect.

It can also be used to agree with a negative statement:

“I don’t like spicy food.”
“Neither do I.”

In that sentence, neither means that the second person also does not like spicy food.

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FAQs

How do you use either or neither?

Use either when referring to one of two choices and neither when referring to not one and not the other. Use either…or for alternatives and neither…nor when rejecting both.

Is it correct to say “me either” or “me neither”?

Me neither is the standard informal response to a negative statement. Me either is also heard in casual American English, but it is less formal.

Should you say “either” or “neither”?

It depends on the meaning. Choose either for one of two choices and neither when both choices are excluded.

What’s the difference between saying “either” and “neither”?

Either normally means one of two, while neither means not one and not the other.

Which is correct: “I can’t wait, me either” or “I can’t wait, me neither”?

If “I can’t wait” means you are excited about something, the clearest reply is “Me too!” or “I can’t wait either!” If the sentence means “I cannot wait any longer,” then “Me neither” can be appropriate.

Is it better to say “I don’t either” or “neither do I”?

Both are correct. I don’t either fits into a negative sentence, while neither do I is commonly used to agree with someone else’s negative statement.

What are common mistakes with either and neither?

Common mistakes include using neither…or instead of neither…nor, using either…nor instead of either…or, creating double negatives, and confusing either with both.

How do Americans say “either”?

Americans commonly pronounce either as either EE-ther or EYE-ther. Both pronunciations are accepted.

What does “neither” mean?

Neither means not one and not the other when referring to two choices. It can also be used in expressions such as “Neither do I” to agree with a negative statement.

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Final Verdict

The easiest way to remember the difference is simple: either means one of two choices, while neither means not one and not the other.

For example, “You can choose either one” means you can choose one of the two, while “Neither one is suitable” means both choices are unsuitable.

When giving two alternatives, use either…or, as in “You can either call me or email me.” When rejecting both choices, use neither…nor, as in “Neither John nor Mark came.”

For negative replies, expressions such as “me neither” and “neither do I” are commonly used. Remembering either = one of two and neither = not one or the other makes the difference much easier to understand.