# Pronunciation: either, neither



## kyuss

Every dictionary would tell you that the first syllable in the words *either* and *neither* can be pronounced either as [-aI-] or as [-I:-]. My questions are:
- Is any of them preferred?
- Which one is most often used?
- Are there variations depending on the region?

Thanks in advance.


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## Josefina

kyuss said:
			
		

> Every dictionary would tell you that the first syllable in the words *either* and *neither* can be pronounced either as [-aI-] or as [-I:-]. My questions are:
> - Is any of them preferred?
> - Which one is most often used?
> - Are there variations depending on the region?
> 
> Thanks in advance.




Good morning kyuss! In AmE they pronounce both words with [i:]
In BrE it is with [ai ].  From Cambridge Pronouncing Dict.  
Hope it helps, *Jose*


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## Artrella

I agree with Jose, at least that's the way Teacher teaches us. Art


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## tim

And if it's worth anything, both are common and acceptable in Australian English (or should I say, either one is acceptable), though I think there is a tendency towards /i:/.  Although that may just be because that is how I pronounce them.


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## jacinta

In the U.S., both pronunciations are used.  It depends on the person.  Some may mistakenly believe that one pronunciation is more proper than the other but the fact is that both are correct and used indiscriminately.


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## dave

Both are used in the UK. I'm fairly sure I use both prounciations myself, but thinking about it I probably use /i:/ more than [ai ]. I have no idea what determines which I use!


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## Artrella

dave said:
			
		

> Both are used in the UK. I'm fairly sure I use both prounciations myself, but thinking about it I probably use /i:/ more than [ai ]. I have no idea what determines which I use!





Dave, at school they say that BrE is being influenced by AmE.  So it's quite probable that nowadays the British pronounce "neither" as /naider/.  At least
Teacher says so!!!


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## lercarafridi

kyuss said:
			
		

> Every dictionary would tell you that the first syllable in the words *either* and *neither* can be pronounced either as [-aI-] or as [-I:-]. My questions are:
> - Is any of them preferred?
> - Which one is most often used?
> - Are there variations depending on the region?
> 
> Thanks in advance.



Non native English students are taught the form /ai/ in elementary and primary school. Besides, the British media also pronounces it that way, so this diphthong is deemed closer to the origin of nowadays´ language (received pronunciation).


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## Irell

Hi,

Is the 'ei' pronounced like the 'e' in 'be' or the 'ye' in 'bye'?

Thanks a lot!

Irelle


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## RTB

Take a look at this online pronunciation resource: http://www.research.att.com/projects/tts/demo.html

 You'll see that in US-English they pronounce the 'E' but in British-English we pronounce the 'EI'.
 However, both are equally acceptable on both sides of the Atlantic.  I know many English people who say *E*ither and many Americans who say *Ei*ther.
 It really doesn't matter.

 -RTB


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## David

No, the words are spelled either and neither. I was just trying to indicate two possible pronunciation. ei as Continental i, or ei as in German.


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## Irell

RTB, thanks for the link! there it sounds the way I use to say it but my friend always 'corrects' me. But, if it doesn't matter anyway... 

Thank you all for the quick answers
Irelle


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## supercrom

Hallo!

*How do you pronounce this word?*

I know that it is sometimes ['aɪðəʳ] or ['ɪ*:*ðəʳ].
I also know that in AE you only use the second pronunciation.
In BE, do you pronounce both forms?

Thanks a lot

*CROM*


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## garryknight

I tend to use the first, but here in the UK you'll hear it pronounced either way (or should that be either way?). I've even heard some people pronounce it both ways in the same conversation.


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## Phryne

cromteaches said:
			
		

> Hallo!
> 
> *How do you pronounce this word?*
> 
> I know that it is sometimes ['aɪðəʳ] or ['ɪ*:*ðəʳ].
> I also know that in AE you only use the second pronunciation.
> In BE, do you pronounce both forms?
> 
> Thanks a lot
> 
> *CROM*


 
Sorry, we can't see the simbols well. Did you mean [iðər], [ajðər]?
 
In the US, both ways are used.


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## timpeac

Phryne said:
			
		

> Sorry, we can't see the simbols well. Did you mean [iðər], [ajðər]?
> 
> In the US, both ways are used.


 
In the Uk both are said fairly equally. In fact it seems to me to be one of those rare instances in language where two options mean the same thing and are pretty much equally used.


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## te gato

cromteaches said:
			
		

> Hallo!
> 
> *How do you pronounce this word?*
> 
> I know that it is sometimes ['aɪðəʳ] or ['ɪ*:*ðəʳ].
> I also know that in AE you only use the second pronunciation.
> In BE, do you pronounce both forms?
> 
> Thanks a lot
> 
> *CROM*


\
Hey Crom.LB;

Just to add more to the pile...

Here we say it two ways...either...(ee-ther)--stress on the EE....and  (I-ther)..stress on the i....

te gato


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## Axl

Traditionally, I-ther was the British way; and while Americans favoured EE-ther, they always used both.
However, both forms are now used in the UK as well, though I-ther is still more common, I think.
I think it has a lot to do with the infuence of American culture and particularly Hollywood.
<<off topic>>


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## gaer

Axl said:
			
		

> Traditionally, I-ther was the British way; and while Americans favoured EE-ther, they always used both.
> However, both forms are now used in the UK as well, though I-ther is still more common, I think.
> I think it has a lot to do with the infuence of American culture and particularly Hollywood.
> <<off topic>>


I almost never hear EE-ther any more, and I'm mystified about it. There seems to be a trend that is changing usage. The reason I've noticed it is that I've always used EE-ther, and it's given as the first pronunciation in Merriam-Webster. I associated I-ther with England (UK) and with parts of the US, New England for instance.

But I think it's changing. The problem is, I keep trying to listen for it and only notice it when I hear it pronounced the way I don't (I-ther).

Gaer


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## te gato

Hey all;
Here I remedy that by saying...eeither..ither..or...

Crom; LB..Hope it helped...
te gato


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## gaer

te gato said:
			
		

> Hey all;
> Here I remedy that by saying...eeither..ither..or...
> 
> Crom; LB..Hope it helped...
> te gato


But I'm truly curious. It seems as though someone said, "I-ther sounds more 'educated'", and people are now using it exclusively, not only on the news, but even in sit coms.

I notice things like that because the difference between BE and AE fascinates me, but I'm also fascinated by changes in language here. I have no preference, just wondered if other people here had noticed the same thing I have…


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## supercrom

I decided to make a poll about pronunciation of these words in English. The motivation for doing this was the two different ways these words in *British English*. Sometimes I don't know how to pronounce netiher (['naɪðəʳ], ['nɪ*:*ðəʳ]) or either (['aɪðəʳ], ['ɪ*:*ðəʳ]) .
I think the first pronunciation is typically British, I am not sure about it, and the second is very American (norteamericano: estadounidense y canadiense). But I noticed British use both pronunciations, so I just would like to know the preferences of British English-speakers.

Thanks a lot for participating in this poll.

Pls, don't forget to correct any mistake you find in this message.

*CROM*


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## Phryne

Americans pronounce either way as well.

So... British speakers only??


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## Philippa

Hi Crom
I used to say only either and neither (with an 'ee' sound) and then I was told that that was the American pronunciation. After probably a decade of sort of trying to change to the 'eye' sound I now say both, and I never know one I'm going to say!!  
Saluditos
Philippa


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## ceirun

I think I tend to use ['naɪðəʳ] and ['aɪðəʳ] (i.e. the ones with the 'I' sound), but I definitely pronounce it the other way sometimes too. Not too sure what the reason for saying one or the other in a particular sentence might be though.
I think there was another thread about this not so long ago in the English-only forum (although I can't seem to find the thread in the search box), so maybe you can read a bit more about it there.


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## Whodunit

I learned '(n)either' with the 'I' sound like in f*i*ne, because it's easy to read for me, since I'm German and in German we almost always pronounce 'ei' this way. It's easy to remember, but I would understand both ways.


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## jacinta

I haven't voted because you say you want only the British pronunciation.  I don't understand your motivation in wanting only British.  Do I sense a touch of bias in that no matter how Americans pronounce these words, they don't have a clue as to what the "correct" pronunciation is?  

This is a matter of personal choice and also how you are taught the words early on.  Both of my sons had the same 3rd grade teacher who pronounced them as "aither" and "naither".  I pronounce them eether and neether, EXCEPT in the phrase " It's n*ai*ther here nor there".  For some reason I pronounce it differently in that context.  Haven't a clue as to why!  I have no lasting effect on my sons' pronunciations, which is fine by me.  That teacher had quite an effect on them.


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## LV4-26

I didn't vote because I'm not a native speaker. But I always say [naither]. Why ? Because it's the British pronounciation (or so I thought before I read the posts above). I learnt a good deal of my English in England (+ at school).
In addition, american pronounciation and accent in general are more "fashionable" among French people and as I always flatter myself not to conform to fashions.....


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## Ari7

Hi all.
Is there any difference in meaning when the word "either" is pronounced "eeder" or "eye-der"?  I hope you get what I mean with the rough attempt at a phonetic spelling.


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## Pedro Arteaga

Ari7 said:
			
		

> Hi all.
> Is there any difference in meaning when the word "either" is pronounced "eeder" or "eye-der"? I hope you get what I mean with the rough attempt at a phonetic spelling.


 
Dear Ari

there are two ways of pronouncing it. In BE they use the "eye-der", in the US we use "eeder".  don't worry about the phonetic spelling

You may look up the correct version of phonetic spelling at
www.dictionary.com


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## emma42

Hi Ari.  In fact, there is disagreement in BE about the pronunciation. As far as I am concerned, eye-ther will do!  Sorry, eeeeether.  Oh no!  I mean eye-ther...

There is also "neither".


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## andrew0991

Okay so....either can be pronounced in both ways
"eeder" and "eye-der". I personally use both of them, so it's not an issue you have to worry about...just use them as you would normally do.

-Andrew (S.I, N.Y.)


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## GenJen54

> Is there any difference in meaning when the word "either" is pronounced "eeder" or "eye-der"?


Well, to start with, neither is spelled nor pronounced with a "d;" it's a "th."

Like in BE, in AE both prounuciations are acceptable.


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## gaer

GenJen54 said:
			
		

> Well, to start with, neither is spelled nor pronounced with a "d;" it's a "th."
> 
> Like in BE, in AE both prounuciations are acceptable.


In my experience, and totally to my surprise, "eye-ther" seems to be preferred in book recordings (by readers) and by news-people (TV).

I've noticed it also in TV series. I think there is a switch going on right now. If you check Merriam Webster, it still shows "ee-ther" as the first pronunciation.

I say "ee-ther" and grew up thinking "eye-ther" was only used primarily in places such as New England.

However, neither (nee-ther, neye-ther) pronunciation is wrong!

Gaer


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## fatt86

Hi, I am learning English and on TV I hear people saying the word "either" in different ways, could you tell me when to use one and when to use the other.

Thanks.


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## born in newyork

There's actually a song about this: http://themave.com/Astaire/calloff.html

You can say "EE-ther" or "EYE-ther."  Neither pronunciation is better than the other.  You can use either.  I think most people stick with one or the other.

(It's the same thing with "neither" as the song will tell you)


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## runnery

Hi friends,

Last time, I heard someone pronounced the letter "i" in "either "as the letter "e" in "ear", I always pronounce it as "I".Could you tell me which is more common in natvie speakers' view.

Please correct me if you find any mistake in my above description.
Thanks.

Runnery


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## PocketWatch

I pronounce it like ee-ther, but I know people that pronounce it like ay-ther. People just pronounce it differently I guess like some English words.


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## PeteLM

I live in New England (Connecticut), and most people I know say "ee-ther,"  although there is a smattering of "eye-ther."  I always thought "eye-ther" sounded more stuffy, and it bothers me that everyone on TV seems to have been instructed to say "eye-ther," even when it doesn't fit the character.  Most dictionaries list "ee-ther" first, and I'm sticking to it.


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## wolfrain14

How do you pronounce the word Either? Or does it depend on the situation?

My English teacher can't even answer me.


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## Revontuli

Hello Wolfrain14,

Both pronunciations of ''either'' are correct.


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## wildan1

There is even a famous old song about that difference.

In AE both are heard, but I think _ee-ther_ is more common.


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## wolfrain14

Thank you so much for your help


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## gaer

wolfrain14 said:


> How do you pronounce the word Either? Or does it depend on the situation?
> 
> My English teacher can't even answer me.


If you look up either on this site, you will see that this question has been debated many times.

My experience is this: in the past I believe that "EE ther", using "EE" as the sound in see and free, was more common in AE when considering the entire US. Obviously there have been regions where "EYE ther" (as in bye, fly, die) has dominated, and New England is just one.

However, I believe there is a shift taking place right now. I notice that "EYE ther" seems to dominate in popular American TV series, in the news, and most noticeably in book recordings.

I have no theories as to why this shift is occurring. However, I notice that is is rarely mentioned in such discussions.

Gaer


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## Loob

Welcome to the forums, wolfrain14!

This question has been asked a number of times before, as gaer says. If you put _pronunciation either _into Dictionary Look-up at the top of the page you'll find a list of several previous threads. _{EDIT: link de-activated as threads now merged}_

It's always a good idea to check first to see if your question has been answered: indeed this is WordReference forum Rule 1



> 1. Look for the answer first.
> Check the WordReference dictionaries if available (and scroll down for a list of related threads)
> or use the forum's search function.


 
The English Only forum rules are here - they include a lnk to the general WRF rules.

I hope this helps


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## gaer

The frustrating thing is that all the information I've found about the pronunication of "either" in AE is out-of-date. Not wrong. Just not accurate in representing a shift that is taking place.

I listen to books for hours each day. My eyes are weak, and I started to listen book-CDs two or three years ago to reduce eye-strain.

I have only heard "EE-ther" used by AE narraters a few times over the last couple years, and this includes thousands and thousands of occurrences of the word by at least a hundred different readers.

The reason I noticed this and continue to notice it is that at the time I was growing up, "EE-ther" DID dominate in most of the US, and I have never said "EYE-ther" in my life. That's why the present dominance of "EYE-ther" jolts me. I don't object to it. But it's a striking change, and it's fairly recent.

"EYE-ther" is used by people in parts of the US who never, ever used it a few decades ago.

That's why "EYE-ther" now dominates in the US on TV. TV itself has an enormous impact on how people under 30 pronounce many words.

Gaer


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## wildan1

But I wouldn't take the careful diction of books-on-tape narrators as an indicator of general speech trends. 

EEther is what I hear around me every day.


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## keung

HI All,
 
I’d like to know how do you pronouns “either” ?
An on-line dictionary tell me it is “ I-da “, but I heard some say “ E-da “ on television. 
 
Thank !


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## Bigote Blanco

Your choice! Both work


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## keung

Thank you!


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## Copyright

Even better, some of us pronounce them differently depending their use. It's hard to go wrong with "either."


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## Harry Batt

I've only heard it as "eye-ther" pronounced by a character who is trying to mimic an English accent.  Otherwise, "ee-ther" is the pronunciation that I've heard in the midwestern  USA.


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## natkretep

I use eye-ther all the time, but ee-ther is also very common among British speakers.


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## JamesM

Copyright said:


> Even better, some of us pronounce them differently depending their use. It's hard to go wrong with "either."


 
I must fall into this camp.    I would say "Eye-ther one" but "Ee-ther you are coming or you aren't; make up your mind."   I'm not sure why I mix the two but I've heard both pronunciations from American speakers and both are common, in my experience.


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## draugurinn

Harry Batt said:


> I've only heard it as "eye-ther" pronounced by a character who is trying to mimic an English accent.  Otherwise, "ee-ther" is the pronunciation that I've heard in the midwestern  USA.


Agreeing with this. Some in this thread have said that eye-ther is used more however I live in the midwest and only hear ee-ther used.


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## ryba

Hi.





dave said:


> Both are used in the UK. I'm fairly sure I use both  prounciations myself, but thinking about it I probably use /i:/ more  than [ai ]. I have no idea what determines which I  use!





garryknight said:


> I tend to use the first, but here  in the UK you'll hear it pronounced either way (or should that be either  way?). I've even heard some people pronounce it both ways in the same  conversation.





ceirun said:


> I think I tend to use ['naɪðəʳ] and ['aɪðəʳ] (i.e. the ones with the 'I'  sound), but I definitely pronounce it the other way sometimes too. Not  too sure what the reason for saying one or the other in a particular  sentence might be though.



One day I was wondering if it's common for a native speaker to use both pronunciations and whether it's possible to do it in the same sentence.
The very same day I heard Captain Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation character played by Patrick Stewart, say:

‘ It was fear. Fear of seeing you, losing my resolve. Fear of staying. Losing myself. Fear that n*ei*ther /aɪ/ of these choices was right, and that... and that *ei*ther /i:/ would have…’ [We'll Always Have Paris, Season 1, Episode 24, time 28:58]



gaer said:


> In my experience, and totally to my surprise,  "eye-ther" seems to be preferred in book recordings (by readers) and by  news-people (TV).
> 
> I've noticed it also in TV series. I think there is a switch going on  right now. If you check Merriam Webster, it still shows "ee-ther" as the  first pronunciation.
> 
> I say "ee-ther" and grew up thinking "eye-ther" was only used primarily  in places such as New England.
> 
> However, neither (nee-ther, neye-ther) pronunciation is wrong!
> 
> Gaer





gaer said:


> The frustrating thing is that all the  information I've found about the pronunication of "either" in AE is  out-of-date. Not wrong. Just not accurate in representing a shift that  is taking place.
> 
> I listen to books for hours each day. My eyes are weak, and I started to  listen book-CDs two or three years ago to reduce eye-strain.
> 
> I have only heard "EE-ther" used by AE narraters a few times over the  last couple years, and this includes thousands and thousands of  occurrences of the word by at least a hundred different readers.
> 
> The reason I noticed this and continue to notice it is that at the time I  was growing up, "EE-ther" DID dominate in most of the US, and I have  never said "EYE-ther" in my life. That's why the present dominance of  "EYE-ther" jolts me. I don't object to it. But it's a striking change,  and it's fairly recent.
> 
> "EYE-ther" is used by people in parts of the US who never, ever used it a  few decades ago.
> 
> That's why "EYE-ther" now dominates in the US on TV. TV itself has an  enormous impact on how people under 30 pronounce many words.
> 
> Gaer


   Hello, Gaer. Have you tried consulting the Longman Pronunciation  Dictionary by J.C. Wells (2008)?

It has a preference poll on _either_ that says:


 BrE: ˡaɪð-  87%, ˡi:ð- 13%
AmE: ˡi:ð- 84%, ˡaɪð- 16%
(as far as I can tell from the  diagram included) 40% of the youngest BrE speakers use ˡi:ð-, i.e. they use it about 38% more often  than the most elderly ones who appear to score just about 2% for ˡi:ð-; the change seems to be relatively recent
the  increase in frecuency of ˡaɪð- in AmE also seems to be recent but not that  rapid, with 25% of the youngest saying it, compared to only 8-12% for  the middle-aged and the elderly
Apparently, as the percentage of ˡi:ð- summed with the percentage of ˡaɪð- always gives  100%, the poll doesn't take into account the fact that many speakers use both (first choice rule applied). 

The first edition of the dictionary is from 1990 but new BrE polls were  carried out in 2007 for the third edition which also features Brent  Vaux's 2002 polling figures for AmE.



jacinta said:


> This is a matter of personal choice and also how you are taught the words early on. Both of my sons had the same 3rd grade teacher who pronounced them as "aither" and "naither". I pronounce them eether and neether, EXCEPT in the phrase " It's n*ai*ther here nor there". For some reason I pronounce it differently in that context. Haven't a clue as to why! I have no lasting effect on my sons' pronunciations, which is fine by me. That teacher had quite an effect on them.





JamesM said:


> I must fall into this camp. I would say "Eye-ther one" but "Ee-ther you are coming or you aren't; make up your mind." I'm not sure why I mix the two but I've heard both pronunciations from American speakers and both are common, in my experience.


 
   Can you think of more examples like that? Do you think it is just a personal tendency (and thus varying from speaker to speaker) or there may be more to it? As some people appear to see the /aɪ/ variants are more formal/old-fashioned (see below), maybe we can say they may sound more emphatic (?). Note that ‘Either you are coming or you aren't; make up your mind’ is usually more emphatic by nature (semantically) than ‘Either one’.



PeteLM said:


> I live in New England (Connecticut), and most people I know say "ee-ther," although there is a smattering of "eye-ther." I always thought "eye-ther" sounded more stuffy, and it bothers me that everyone on TV seems to have been instructed to say "eye-ther," even when it doesn't fit the character. Most dictionaries list "ee-ther" first, and I'm sticking to it.


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## Kumpel

From the point of view of an English-speaking Briton, I use both.
Everyone I know uses both.

It's like the whole scone (skōn-skŏn) thing, it doesn't matter.


Lloyd


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## cuchuflete

ryba said:


> Hello, Gaer. Have you tried consulting the Longman Pronunciation  Dictionary by J.C. Wells (2008)?
> 
> It has a preference poll on _either_ that says:



Hello ryba,

Are you serious?  Gaer is a native speaker of AE.  Native speakers do not typically have any need to consult a pronunciation dictionary for their own language, other for academic studies.

As has been said repeatedly through the course of this thread, both pronunciations are used, both are correct, and some people, some of the time, use both in the same sentence.  If I were to consult a dictionary, and it said otherwise, I would not consider it credible.  If it merely confirms what lots of AE and BE native speakers have written in this thread, that would not be surprising.

These words, either and neither, offer non-native learners greater than ordinary flexibility in pronunciation.  The student need not even be consistent to be correct.


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## Porteño

cuchuflete said:


> Hello ryba,
> 
> Are you serious? Gaer is a native speaker of AE. Native speakers do not typically have any need to consult a pronunciation dictionary for their own language, other for academic studies.
> 
> As has been said repeatedly through the course of this thread, both pronunciations are used, both are correct, and some people, some of the time, use both in the same sentence. If I were to consult a dictionary, and it said otherwise, I would not consider it credible. If it merely confirms what lots of AE and BE native speakers have written in this thread, that would not be surprising.
> 
> These words, either and neither, offer non-native learners greater than ordinary flexibility in pronunciation. The student need not even be consistent to be correct.


 

BRAVO! Although I'm an ayther, nayhter speaker myself and as far I know have never used eether or neether.


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## ryba

cuchuflete said:


> Hello ryba,
> 
> Are you serious?   Gaer is a native speaker of AE.  Native speakers do not typically have  any need to consult a pronunciation dictionary for their own language,  other for academic studies.



Hi. Are you serious thinking I wanted to teach Gaer anything?

I merely referred to this comment of his:



gaer said:


> The frustrating thing is that all the information  I've found about the pronunication of "either" in AE is out-of-date. Not  wrong. Just not accurate in representing a shift that is taking  place.



I would ask you, Cuchuflete, what makes you think Gaer is not interested in the kind of info I provided and why you assume no one here has academic interest in the English language but I won't do that. It's getting off-topic. I'd prefer you to tell us something that hasn't been said instead, if you like. You are a native speaker, you must have something interesting to say.


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## Kumpel

I don't understand how this thread has become so long. 

The question: _ee-ther_ or _eye-ther_?
Numerous native speakers of (British, American and Australian) English have said that both are correct.


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## JamesM

ryba said:


> Can you think of more examples like that? Do you think it is just a personal tendency (and thus varying from speaker to speaker) or there may be more to it?


 
I think I always say "me neether" but "nyther do I", which is another inexplicable inconsistency. 

I have heard many people use both. I don't know that I've noticed any distinct grouping that I could make. 



> As some people appear to see the /aɪ/ variants are more formal/old-fashioned (see below), maybe we can say they may sound more emphatic (?). Note that ‘Either you are coming or you aren't; make up your mind’ is usually more emphatic by nature (semantically) than ‘Either one’.


 
I don't think so. I don't think it has to do with emphasis.


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## ryba

JamesM said:


> I think I always say "me neether" but "nyther do I", which is another inexplicable inconsistency.
> 
> I have heard many people use both. I don't know that I've noticed any distinct grouping that I could make.


Thank you very much, James.

In this particular case it may be about vowel harmony (which has to do with language economy and the principle of least effort), as you get two /i_:_/ in_ M*e* n*ei*ther_
and two /aɪ/ in _N*ei*ther do *I*_. Just a hypothesis. If anyone finds it useless, please, do not let me know.


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## Kumpel

ryba said:


> In this particular case it may be about vowel harmony (which has to do with language economy and the principle of least effort), as you get two /i_:_/ in_ M*e* n*ei*ther_
> and two /aɪ/ in _N*ei*ther do *I*_. Just a hypothesis. If anyone finds it useless, please, do not let me know.



It's possible.
Yes, I always say "me neether," but I think I'd say "neether do I," too.
In "me neither," the two vowel sounds are consecutive, so it's understandable that they're pronounced the same. "Neither do I," on the other hand, is separated by the /u:/.

Lloyd


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## pickarooney

My old mum used always say "Eether or Eyether, Aythur'll do."


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## preppie

This was a lovely thread, six years on how to pronounce two words and no conclusion .  In my 60 years with a fair amount of education, extensive travel in the US. and moderate travel of the world, the bottom line: there is no rule, nor will there ever be, for how to pronounce either/neither.

And the good news is, it really doesn't matter if there is or there isn't.  Whichever is used will be clearly understood. 

We really should focus on much more important topics.  
i.e.  Is it   to-MAY-to .. or to-MAH-to ?


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## darman92

I agree. Personally, I say /toh-mei-toh/ but that is just me. The Pacific Northwest is where companies apparently send news anchors in order to learn the "official American-English dialect". Everybody here says it the same way. I have only been to Britain twice, so I would not know much of how they would say their words.

Now, regarding the OP, I say /aither, naither/ and my friends and parents say /iither, niither/, so it really does not matter. In music, everything is about tone and the way things sound. You would play something in a way that sounds good, regardless of other opinions. So it could be a reasonable assumption that people say it either way depending on which they think simply sounds better. 

It is just a simple matter of what sounds better to an individual, and nothing more. There is no Grammar-Nazism necessary.


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## Phoenixlighter

Okay, this question might sound weird but it doesn't stop bothering me. How do you actually pronounce the word "either". Some people tend to say it like "i-ther" and others like "ee-ther". Is there a difference between if you put it at the beginning of the sentence or at the very end. Like: "Either you go, or you stay" or "I don't like it, either".

Same thing with "neither" .. "neither do I"


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## ewie

This is a Frequently Asked Question, Phoenix ~ see above

Basically the answer is: you can pronounce them either way, or, as a lot of people (me included) do, _both_ ways


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## Alxmrphi

preppie said:


> This was a lovely thread, six years on how to pronounce two words and no conclusion .  In my 60 years with a fair amount of education, extensive travel in the US. and moderate travel of the world, the bottom line: there is no rule, nor will there ever be, for how to pronounce either/neither.
> 
> And the good news is, it really doesn't matter if there is or there isn't.  Whichever is used will be clearly understood.
> 
> We really should focus on much more important topics.
> i.e.  Is it   to-MAY-to .. or to-MAH-to ?



Haha, I completely agree with this post


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## ewie

Alxmrphi said:


> Haha, I completely agree with this post


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## Nylund

You will find a lot of people who insist one is more correct than the other. You will also find people who insist one is British and one is American.  Neither is really true. Both pronunciations are used on both sides of the Atlantic, although each side might have a slight preference for one or the other.  But mainly, it's an individual thing.  Some individuals even mix it up.  It's not uncommon for the same person to say, "Me neether" but also say, "Nyther do I." 

I just noticed recently that I increasingly use Nyther whereas my spouse and my parents always say Neether. I don't know where I picked it up from.  Even more, when I pointed this out to my spouse and my parents, none of them had even noticed that I said it differently.  I even started asking random individuals I encountered throughout my day, and when put on the spot, most people couldn't tell me which pronunciation they used.  They'd say the same sentence with each pronunciation and end up confusing themselves about which they used.  Most people concluded that they used both and it changed depending on the sentence or who they were talking to. By that, I mean, the second speaker sometimes just mimics the first speaker's pronunciation, regardless of which it is, but this usually happens subconsciously and without thought.

In practice it may have something to do with whatever sounds nice with the sentence as a whole.  Notice in my example above with "Me Neether" and "Nyether do I."  Those are both common, and the same person might say both, and it probably has something to do with the fact that people are subconsciously rhyming "Me" with "Nee" and "I" with "Nye."  This isn't a rule.  I think the mouth finds it simpler to repeat the same sound within a sentence.  Mouths are lazy.

Point being, both are so commonly used that neither sounds particularly odd or jarring to most people. There are a few who get riled up by this, but if you encounter such people, understand that it's a sign that they have issues, not that you're doing anything wrong.


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