TKG English Learner's Dictionary

neither

3 entries: conjunction · pronoun · determiner

neitherconjunction

American /ˈni.ðər/ British /ˈnaɪ.ðə/ also /ˈnaɪ.ðər/ also common in American English Two pronunciations are both correct in American English: NEE-ther and NYE-ther. Neither is more formal than the other.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. used before the first of two things joined by nor, to say that both are not true

    Neither comes before the first thing and nor before the second. The pair already makes the sentence negative, so the verb stays positive. With two subjects, the verb usually agrees with the nearer one: Neither Kim nor her friends were at home.

    Collocations

    phrase neither here nor there, neither one thing nor the other

    Compare either (either ... or offers a choice between two things; neither ... nor says that both are not true)

    For translators (sense 1)

    Meaning across languages Some languages repeat the same negative word before each item; English uses two different words, neither before the first and nor before the second.
    Grammar trap Neither ... nor already makes the sentence negative, so the verb stays positive: I have neither time nor money, with no second negative word.

Common mistakes

Neither tea or coffee is ready. Neither tea nor coffee is ready.
Neither pairs with nor, not with or.
I don't like neither tea nor coffee. I like neither tea nor coffee.
Neither ... nor is already negative; adding not makes a double negative, which is not standard English.

See also neither (neither before a singular noun: neither answer); neither (neither used with of or alone: neither of us); nor; neither (neither in replies, meaning also not: Neither do I)

neitherpronoun

American /ˈni.ðər/ British /ˈnaɪ.ðə/ also /ˈnaɪ.ðər/ also common in American English Two pronunciations are both correct in American English; British English mostly uses NYE-ther.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. not one and not the other of two people or things, when there are two possibilities

    Neither stands alone, without a following noun, often before of: neither of us, I chose neither. A singular verb is the more careful choice (neither is right), though a plural verb is also standard, especially before of and a plural noun or pronoun (neither of them know). Directly before a noun, neither is a determiner, a separate entry.

    Collocations

    phrase neither of, neither one

    Antonyms either

    Compare either (either offers a free choice between two; neither rules both out); none (none is for one or more than two; neither is only for exactly two)

    For translators (sense 1)

    Grammar trap A singular verb after neither is the more careful choice, but a plural verb is also standard, especially before of and a plural noun. Neither already carries a negative meaning and takes a positive verb. Either, a separate word, needs a negative word elsewhere in the clause.

Usage

A singular verb after neither is the more careful choice (neither is ready), but a plural verb is also standard and widely accepted, especially before of and a plural noun or pronoun (neither of them are ready). See neither-det for neither ... nor.

Common mistakes

Neither of us don't know. Neither of us knows.
Neither already carries a negative meaning; do not add don't as well, and use a singular verb.
I don't like neither of them. I don't like either of them.
With a negative verb already in the sentence, use either; neither already contains the negative.

See also neither (neither directly before a noun: neither answer); either

For translators

Grammar trap Many languages join two negative ideas with two separate negative words; English marks the negative once, in neither, and keeps the verb after it positive.
Pronunciation trap Two pronunciations are both common in American English, said NEE-ther and NYE-ther; British English mostly uses NYE-ther.

neitherdeterminer

American /ˈni.ðər/ British /ˈnaɪ.ðə/ also /ˈnaɪ.ðər/ also common in American English Two pronunciations are both correct in American English; neither is treated as more formal than the other.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. not eitherused before a singular noun, when there are two possibilities, to mean not one and not the other

    Neither already carries a negative meaning, so the verb after it is positive, not negative: neither answer is correct, not neither answer isn't correct. Neither followed by of plus a pronoun or plural noun (neither of them, neither of the roads) belongs to a separate entry.

    • Neither answer is correct.
    • Neither road looked familiar to us.
    • Neither team scored in the first half.
    • Neither restaurant was open on Sunday.

    Antonyms either

    Compare either (either offers a choice or covers both; neither rules both out); no (no is for one or more than two; neither is only for exactly two); either

Usage

Neither is grammatically singular and takes a singular verb: Neither answer is correct. Because neither is already negative, the verb after it stays positive; adding another negative word produces a double negative that is not standard English. Neither used with of, used alone, used in the pair neither ... nor (neither tea nor coffee), or used to mean also not (I don't like it, and neither does she) belongs to separate entries.

Common mistakes

Neither answer isn't correct. Neither answer is correct.
Neither is already negative, so the verb after it does not take not as well.
Neither answers were correct. Neither answer was correct.
Neither takes a singular noun and a singular verb, not a plural one.

See also either; neither (neither used with of or alone, without a following noun: neither of us, I chose neither); nor (nor after neither, joining two things that are both not true: neither tea nor coffee)

For translators

Meaning across languages Many languages join two negative ideas with two separate negative words; English marks the negative once, in neither, and keeps the verb positive.
Grammar trap Neither is grammatically singular and takes a singular noun and a singular verb; it already carries a negative meaning, so the verb after it is not also made negative.
Pronunciation trap Two pronunciations are both common in American English, said NEE-ther and NYE-ther; British English mostly uses NYE-ther.