What does either mean?
Word: Either
Part of Speech: Determiner
Meaning: Either means one or the other of two; it is also used after a negative to mean 'also' (I can't swim either).
Antonyms: neither
How do you spell either?
Syllables: ei - ther
Tricky part: It begins ei, not ie, so it breaks the 'i before e' rule.
Watch out for: iether, eather, eyther
Memory tip: Either and neither break the 'i before e' rule together. Learn them as a pair: e-i in both.
Either in a sentence
Example 1: You can sit on either side of Grandpa at dinner.
Example 2: Either Sneha or Tarun will read the news at assembly tomorrow.
Example 3: The hotel serves idli and poha, and either makes a good breakfast.
Fun Fact
Both EE-ther and EYE-ther are standard ways to say this word. Many British speakers say EYE-ther, while most Americans say EE-ther.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the one that is not.
1. whether 2. eithar 3. neither 4. rather
a) used to show a choice between possibilities
b) one or the other of two
c) to some degree, or more willingly
d) not one and not the other of two
Show answer
b) one or the other of two. Eithar is the slip: the word ends in er, like neither and whether.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled letters in the sentence hide a word. Choose it.
If rtheei of you finishes early, please help me stack the chairs.
a) neither
b) either
c) ether
d) tether
Show answer
b) either. The jumble has six letters including an i, so it is either; ether lacks the i, neither needs an n and tether needs two t's.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
eitther
a) t
b) e
c) h
d) i
Show answer
a) t. There is only one t, and it belongs to the th sound.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. 'There were tall trees on either side of the road' means the trees were ____.
a) on the far side only
b) on both sides of the road
c) on neither side of the road
d) on the left side only
Show answer
b) on both sides of the road
2. In 'You may borrow either book', how many books may you borrow?
a) only one of the two
b) both of them together
c) all of them
d) neither of them
Show answer
a) only one of the two
