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Either Or Neither

What is the Difference Between Either and Neither?

In this post, I want to go over the uses of these two words. I will go over their functions, their definitions, and their pronunciations, as well as the popular phrases that use each word.

After reading this post, you shouldn’t ever confuse neither vs. either again.

When to Use Either

Either can be used as four distinct parts of speech. It can be used as a pronoun, conjunction, adjective, and adverb. The meaning of either in the first three forms is the one or the other and in the case of its adverbial form likewise; also.

Either one of the candidates would make a fine president. (Pronoun)
This is a list of people who gave either money or time during the campaign. (Conjunction)
You can take either car to the movie tonight. (Adjective)
If you aren’t going to the show tonight, I won’t either.* (Adverb)

A distinctive feature that separates either from neither is that either is positive. It does not create a negation of both options.

In the examples above, either is used to indicate one or the other. It is not meant to eliminate all possibilities or options presented. That said, constructions similar to the fourth example above are best avoided or replaced with the word neither.

If you aren’t going to the show tonight, I won’t either.

– is better stated –

If you aren’t going to the show tonight, neither will I.

When to Use Neither

Neither can also be used as four distinct parts of speech: adjective, pronoun, conjunction, and adverb. The first three forms carry the meaning not one or the other, and the adverbial form carries the meaning similarly not; also not.

I’m not sure. Neither shirt fits me very well. (Adjective)
Neither of the speakers has arrived yet. (Pronoun)
After the fight, he neither called nor wrote. (Conjunction)
If you don’t want to go to the concert, neither do I. (Adverb)

As mentioned above, neither creates a total negation, which cannot be said about the word either.

How to Pronounce Either and Neither

How to pronounce either: In American English, ee–ther is the preferred and more common pronunciation. The pronunciation i–ther is not incorrect, just sometimes considered pretentious in American English. The i–ther pronunciation is dominant in British English.

How to pronounce neither: In American English, nee–ther is the traditionally preferred pronunciation, with ni–ther being considered mildly pretentious.

In British English, however, ni–ther is considered normal.

Me Either or Me Neither?

There are quite a few different phrases/idioms that use both either and neither.

Either Way: Whichever of the two given alternatives be the case.

I’m not sure whether his name is Greg or Joe, but, either way, address him as sir.

Me Neither: Nor do I.

– I don’t want to leave the city tonight.

– Yeah—me neither.

Number of Elements When Using Either or Neither

Whether you are using either or neither, you can only frame two alternatives/elements.

Either this or that.
Neither this nor that.

It is possible to find examples in print or on the web where these words are comparing many alternatives, but this should be avoided whenever possible.

I had neither considered your offer, the location, nor the position yet.
We can make either hotdogs, hamburgers, or BBQ. Your pick.

It’s best to omit neither or either in sentences like those above.

I had not considered your offer, the location, or the position yet.
We can make hotdogs, hamburgers, or BBQ. Your pick.

Is Neither/Either Singular or Plural?

When acting as the subject of the sentence, neither and either both take singular verbs.

Either of the two offers was better than my current job.
Neither of the coupons was a good one.

Singular/Plural When Using Neither… Nor Constructions

When you have sentences that take the neither… nor construction, the verb that follows should be singular when the alternatives are singular or when the second alternative is singular. For example,

Neither the engine nor the fuel tank leaks any fluid.
Neither the fuel lines nor the fuel tank leaks any fluid.

– but –

Neither the fuel tank nor the fuel lines leak any fluid.

In the first example, both alternatives are singular, so a singular verb follows. Similarly, in the second example, the second alternative is singular, so a singular verb follows.

The third example has a plural second alternative, so the verb that follows the construction is plural.

Singular/Plural When Using Either … Or Constructions

Nouns that are framed by an either … or construction take a singular or plural verb, depending on which noun is closest to the verb. For example,

Either she or they need the recipe.
Either they or she needs the recipe.

The first sentence has the plural they closest to the verb need, so the verb is plural.

The second sentence has the singular she closest to the verb needs, so the verb is singular.

Parallelism When Using Either and Neither

When you are using either and neither, you should be sure to keep the elements of you sentences parallel syntactically. For example,

The audience was reimbursed either with vouchers or food.

– should read –

The audience was reimbursed with either vouchers or food.

In the first sentence, the two elements do not match each other. Consider another example,

The donations have neither been disclosed nor accounted for.

– should read –

The donations have been neither disclosed nor accounted for.

Remember the Difference

A great way to remember the difference between these two words has to do with the first letter of the word neither.

Neither creates a negation and starts with the letter “N.” Neither means not one of the given options.

If you can remember this trick, you’ll be all set.

Summary

Both of these words have multiple functions within a sentence, but knowing when to use either or neither is very important since they have near opposite meanings.

Either means one or the other.

Neither means not one or the other.

Barbecue Or Barbeque

What is the Difference Between Barbecue and Barbeque?

In this article, I will compare barbecue vs. barbeque. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a useful mnemonic device that you can use to help yourself remember whether barbecue or barbeque is correct.

When to Use Barbecue

What does barbecue mean? Barbecue can be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, barbecue means a particular method of cooking, whereby one suspends meat over burning coals on a wooden framework.

The word can also refer to a gathering around food cooked this way. Barbecue is derived from the Spanish barbacoa, a word for the wooden structure itself.

Here are a few examples,

There’s a barbecue at Craig’s house this weekend; do you want to go?
In the American South, there are many regional variations on barbecue.
The FDA tried to regulate southern barbecue, but it largely failed.
Melissa Cookston recalls the smell of barbecue mingling with her grandfather’s morning coffee as she sat and talked with him at his favorite lunch spot in the Mississippi Delta. –The Wall Street Journal

As a verb, barbecue means to cook according to this method.

Check out the example below,

“I’m going to barbecue a pig tomorrow,” said Jenn. “I could use your help.”

When to Use Barbeque

What does barbeque mean? Barbeque is a variant of the same word. It is not used as frequently as barbecue. Other variations include bar-b-cue, bar-b-que, and BBQ. Below is a graph that charts the use of barbeque vs. barbecue since 1800.

As you can see, barbecue is by far the most widely used variant of this word. In his book Garner’s Modern English Usage, Bryan Garner estimates barbecue is used three times more frequently than all other forms of the word combined.

Other variations, like bar-b-cue and BBQ, are common to see in advertising or the names of restaurants, but they are comparatively rare in edited prose.

I stopped for a decent plate of pulled pork ($9.99) at the BBQ Pit on University Avenue before continuing on to ChuckAlek Biergarten, a spot in North Park with a great outdoor area. –The New York Times

As you can see in this New York Times example, BBQ is in the name of the restaurant. In this sense, it is acting as a proper noun.

Spelling of Barbecue: Trick to Remember the Difference

Barbecue is the only standard version of this word, probably because it is closest to the original Spanish barbacoa. It is also the most widely-used variant among English writers.

Since barbecue and barbacoa each contain the letter C, you can use the spelling similarity as a reminder that barbecue is the correct spelling of this word.

Summary

Is it barbecue or barbeque? Barbecue, barbeque, bar-b-cue, bar-b-que, and BBQ are all Anglicized variants of the Spanish word barbacoa. As nouns and verbs, they refer to a process of slow-cooking pork or other meats.

Barbecue is the standard spelling in English.
Barbecue occurs at a rate many times that of its variants.

Anytime Or Any time

When to Use Anytime (One Word)

Anytime, used as a single word, is an adverb, and it has a meaning similar to “whenever,” “at any time,” or “ on any occasion.” Here are a few examples,

We can talk anytime you want.
Anytime you need something, just call.
You can watch TV anytime; let’s go do something.
The train should be leaving anytime now.

A good trick to determine if anytime is appropriate to use is to substitute “at any time” into your sentence. If it still makes sense, anytime is correct choice. For example,

I can meet anytime on Saturday for lunch.
I can meet at any time on Saturday for lunch.

As you can see, the sentence still makes sense with the phrase “at any time” substituted, so we can safely use “anytime.”

When to Use Any Time (Two Words)

Any time, used as two words, is the more versatile of the two constructions, so, if you are ever unsure about which variant is correct for your sentence, pick the two-word any time.

Any time is a noun phrase, and it has a meaning similar to “any amount of time.” Here are a few examples,

Do you have any time tomorrow to help me with my homework?
The conference was good, but I spent hardly any time sightseeing.
I don’t have any time to read now that I got this new job.
You never make any time for us.

Just like the one-word anytime, the two-word any time also functions adverbially, but it also has additional functions as a noun phrase.

Can Anytime and Any Time be Used Interchangeably?

Now, you’re probably thinking, if anytime and anytime can both function as adverbs, can they be used interchangeably?

The answer is no.

When writing, we need to be careful when using these words with prepositional phrases. Only any time(two words) can follow a prepositional phrase. For example,

I can hang out at any time tomorrow night. (CORRECT)
I can hang out at anytime tomorrow night. (WRONG)

The reason only any time will work in this sentence is because prepositions take objects, and only a noun or noun phrase can be the object of a preposition, not an adverb.

If we were to remove the preposition “at” in the above example, thereby removing the prepositional phrase, both would be acceptable since the noun phrase any time can be used adverbially.

I can hang out at any time tomorrow night. (CORRECT)
I can hang out anytime tomorrow night. (CORRECT)

Summary

There is a distinction to be made between any time vs. anytime and the two constructions cannot be used interchangeably.

Anytime functions as an adverb and means “any time whatsoever.”

Any time means “any particular amount of time.” It is a noun phrase that can function adverbially. This choice alone should appear after a preposition.

*Either choice is appropriate in the beginning example sentence.

Checkup or Check Up

What is the Difference Between Checkup and Check Up?

In this post, I will compare checkup vs. check up. I will include multiple example sentences for each term, so you will be able to see them in context.

Then, I will demonstrate how to use a mnemonic device that will help you remember whether check up or checkup is correct.

When to Use Checkup

What does checkup mean? A checkup is a secondary appointment. This word is a noun. People go to their doctors for a medical checkup or to a financial adviser for a retirement planning checkup.

Here are a few more examples,

“Before you leave, we should schedule you for a checkup in about six months,” said the receptionist.
I sent my boss an email letting him know that I would be in at noon today, after my checkup.
Fortunately, there is a short financial checkup that effectively predicts what I think of as the key components of financial health–including short-term and long-term savings, management of financial products and financial literacy. –The Wall Street Journal

The plural form of checkup is checkups. The adjective form of this word is check-up. An appointment used for the purpose of checking up would be called a check-up appointment.

When to Use Check Up

What does check up? Check up is a verb phrase. It means to review or monitor progress, usually to ensure that something is still going as planned or to watch for warning signs.

A doctor might check up on her patients during her daily rounds to ensure that their health is improving as expected or a girlfriend might check up on her boyfriend to ensure that he is not flirting with other girls.

Here are few more examples:

Some parents like to visit school to check up on their children and make sure they are safe and happy.
Ellie scrolled through the text messages on Henry’s phone to make sure he wasn’t still talking to his ex-girlfriend, Julia.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, let’s go over a trick to remember check up vs. checkup.

As a single word, checkup is a noun.
As two words, check up is a verb.
When hyphenated words, check-up is an adjective.

While these three spellings are quite similar, they cannot be freely exchanged. Checkup is always a noun, check up is always a verb phrase, and check-up is always an adjective.

Since the words check and up are a verb and a preposition, respectively, as long as you can remember the meanings of these individual words, you should be able to remember that the phrase check up is a verb phrase.

Summary

Is it checkup or check up? Despite their similar spellings, these words are all used as different parts of speech.

A checkup is an event where reviewing or monitoring takes place.
To check up is to review or monitor something
The hyphenated adjective check-up describes such an event.

Accidentally or Accidently

What is the Difference Between Accidently and Accidentally?

In this post, I will compare accidently vs. accidentally. I will outline which of these spellings is correct and showcase the correct spelling in example sentences.

Plus, I will show you an easy way to remember which of these two spellings is correct in written English.

When to Use Accidentally

What does accidentally mean? Accidentally is an adverb. It describes something that was not on purpose. Remember, adverbs modify verbs, so this will be used around other verbs in a sentence.

For example,

“Mom, I accidentally knocked over the china cabinet and broke all your dishes,” admitted Freddy.
Don accidentally rear-ended a minivan at a stoplight because he was texting while driving.
Oops, you “accidentally” dropped your phone in the pool. Too bad you now have to buy an upgrade. –The New York Times

The adjective version of this word is accidental, and they are both derived from the word accident, which means an unfortunate event that was unintended. The word accident can be traced to Medieval English, when it was probably borrowed from Medieval French.

Like many words in modern English, accident has origins in Latin, specifically the word cadere, which means to fall. According to Merriam-Webster, accident was first recorded in English during the 14th century.

When to Use Accidently

What does accidently mean? Accidently is a common misspelling of accidentally.

The confusion probably arises from the fact that some people mispronounce accidentally as if it were spelled accidently.

Pronunciation of Accidently and Accidentally

As mentioned above, the confusion between these two words might arise from the fact that accidentally is mispronounced as the shorter accidently.

Accidentally is pronounced ak-si-dent-a-ly. It is not pronounced ak-si-dent-ly.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now that we have outlined each spelling, we can go over a trick to remember accidentally vs. accidently.

Accidentally is the correct spelling.
Accidently is a misspelling.

Remember that the related adjective is accidental. By keeping in mind the relationship between the adjective and adverb versions of the word accident, you should be able to remember that accidentally is the correct adverb form.

Summary

Is it accidently or accidentally? While both spellings have similar sounds, they are pronounced differently and only one is correct.

Accidentally is an adverb that means unintentionally.

Accidently is a common misspelling.

Between Or Among

The Traditional Rule

The traditional rule regarding these two words states that between introduces two items while among introduces more than two items.

The race is now between Jenny and Jill.
The funds were divided among Steve, Carter, and Smithy.

This rule likely stems from each word’s respective etymology. The “tween” in between comes from same Indo-European roots that gave us two, twain, and duo. Similarly, “mong” comes from an Old English word that means “crowd” or “throng.”

As such, the rule covers most of the questions surrounding these words, but it doesn’t give the complete picture, and the difference between these words isn’t always quite so clear-cut.

When to Use Between

The Chicago Manual of Style describes between as indicating one-to-one relationships. In other words, we use between when talking about a relationship of a person or thing with regard to other people or things separately and distinctly.

Can we keep this between you and me?

You can use between for more than two objects if this same one-to-one relationship between distinct units is understood from the context. For example,

There is now more interstate trade between Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
A new trade agreement was reached between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
I can’t decide between the pink, blue, or red shirt.

Between can also be used to refer to more than two things when items are considered one pair at a time.

Discussions are under way between the corporate board and the Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas economic planning committees.

In this example, the board is considered one entity, and each state committee is interacting with the board individually. So, although four groups are being discussed, they are really three distinct pairs interacting with each other. If we reorganize the sentence, you can see this more clearly.

Discussions are under way between the corporate board and Texas, between the corporate board and Oklahoma, and between the corporate board and Kansas.

The bottom line is you can use between when talking about distinct, individual items that have a one-to-one relationship—even if there are more than two.

When to Use Among

Among is used to refer to undefined or collective relationships—things that are not distinct or individual.

Keeping peace among neighboring regions is an imperative.
There was a consensus among union members not to raise dues.
Tech giants are at war among themselves for market share.
There were many good athletes among those still left in the fifth round.

As you can see, among is used for undefined or unspecified relationships, oftentimes between groups. These are neither discrete nor specified individuals.

Differences in Location

Between and among also have different meanings when it comes to indicating direction. Consider the following examples,

Your keys fell among the books.
Your keys fell between the books.

These two sentences communicate very different ideas.

The first expresses the idea that your keys fell among a pile of books and somewhere in the midst of them you will find your keys.

The second seems to indicate that your keys fell in between two books and that in the middle of them you will find you keys.

Between and Among as Prepositions

Being that both between and among are prepositions, you must ensure that any pronouns that follow either of them be in the objective case.

Between her and him (Correct)
Between she and he (Wrong)
Between you and me (Correct)
Between you and I (Wrong)

Remember the Difference

As I said above, the traditional rule will get you by in most cases and it’s easy enough to remember.

Between is for two items. You can remember this because between and two both have “tw” in them. Also “B” is the second (2) letter of the alphabet.

Among is for a lot of items and both start with an “A.”

A slightly more nuanced, and perhaps updated, view is that between is for any one-to-one relationship between discrete and separate things. Among is for undefined, collective uses, oftentimes with groups.

Summary

The debate over among vs. between is a little more complicated that the traditional rules leads you to believe.

Between is used for one-to-one relationships between discrete things.

Among is used for undefined or collective relationships between things.

Allowed or Aloud

What is the Difference Between Allowed and Aloud?

In this article, I will compare allowed vs. aloud. I will use each of these words in a sentence, so that you can see them in the proper context.

I will also show you a helpful mnemonic that you can use to know when to use allowed or aloud in your own writing.

When to Use Allowed

What does allowed mean? Allowed can be an adjective or a verb.

As an adjective, allowed is a synonym of permitted or sanctioned.

As a verb, allowed is the past tense of the verb allow, which means permit, sanction, or concede.

Here are some examples,

Bernadette argued that nuclear proliferation would eventually lead to nuclear war, and Richard allowed that it was within the realm of possibility.
The attorney screamed, “Objection, your honor! This line of questioning is a blatant attack on the character of the witness, and cannot possibly lead to information relevant to this case!” The judge, however, allowed it.
You are allowed one carry-on item and one small personal bag or backpack on domestic flights.
Utah’s Republican congressional delegation had been working on compromise legislation that would have allowed the land to be developed for energy and other uses. –The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Aloud

What does aloud mean? Aloud is an adverb, in which it describes speaking or reading in full voice. Aloud is an antonym of the adverbs silently and quietly.

Here are some examples,

Early elementary screenings for deficits in reading fluency usually involve reading aloud from a pre-selected passage for one minute.
The Senator from Kentucky voiced his objections aloud, and articulated them in no uncertain terms.
It is only when I speak my thoughts aloud that I get myself into trouble.
This nonprofit organization is powered by pediatricians who share a common goal — to make sure that all parents and caregivers understand the importance of reading aloud, so that all children are given a solid foundation for success. –The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember aloud vs. allowed.

Despite being homophones, allowed and aloud are actually different parts of speech and cannot be freely interchanged.

Allowed is either a verb or an adjective.
Aloud is an adverb.

If you ever have trouble remembering which of these words is which, remember that the suffix –ed at the end of allowed denotes a past tense verb. You can use allowed’s construction as a clue to help you remember that it is a verb.

Additionally, aloud contains the word loud, which can serve to indicate that is refers to sound, not permission.

Summary

Is it aloud or allowed? Aloud and allowed are homophones, but they are different parts of speech.

Aloud is an adverb that means spoken or read in full voice. Allowed can be either an adjective, where it means permitted or sanctioned, or the past tense of the verb allow, which means to permit something or to concede a point.

Since allowed ends with the suffix –ed, you can always remember to use it as a past tense verb instead of aloud.

In conclusion, aloud is an adverb. Allowed is sometimes a verb and sometimes an adjective.

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Either Or Neither

What is the Difference Between Either and Neither?

When to Use Either

When to Use Neither

How to Pronounce Either and Neither

Me Either or Me Neither?

Number of Elements When Using Either or Neither

Is Neither/Either Singular or Plural?

Singular/Plural When Using Neither… Nor Constructions

Singular/Plural When Using Either … Or Constructions

Parallelism When Using Either and Neither

Remember the Difference

Summary

Barbecue Or Barbeque

What is the Difference Between Barbecue and Barbeque?

When to Use Barbecue

When to Use Barbeque

Spelling of Barbecue: Trick to Remember the Difference

Summary

Anytime Or Any time

When to Use Anytime (One Word)

When to Use Any Time (Two Words)

Can Anytime and Any Time be Used Interchangeably?

Checkup or Check Up

What is the Difference Between Checkup and Check Up?

When to Use Checkup

When to Use Check Up

Trick to Remember the Difference

Summary

Accidentally or Accidently

What is the Difference Between Accidently and Accidentally?

When to Use Accidentally

When to Use Accidently

Pronunciation of Accidently and Accidentally

Trick to Remember the Difference

Summary

Between Or Among

The Traditional Rule

When to Use Between

When to Use Among

Differences in Location

Between and Among as Prepositions

Remember the Difference

Summary

Allowed or Aloud

What is the Difference Between Allowed and Aloud?

When to Use Allowed

When to Use Aloud

Trick to Remember the Difference

Summary

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