# either

> English word · Determiner · IPA /ˈaɪ.ðə/ · frequency rank #464

## Definitions
1. Any one (of two).
2. Each of two; both.
3. Any one (of more than two).

## Etymology
From Middle English either, from Old English ǣġhwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw + *gahwaþar. Akin to Old Saxon eogihwethar, iahwethar (Low German jeed); Old Dutch *iogewether, *iowether, *iother (Dutch ieder); Old High German eogihwedar, iegihweder, ieweder (German jeder).

## Easily confused with
- **enter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-enter)
- **ether** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-ether)
- **Ethel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-ethel)
- **ester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-ester)
- **Esther** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-esther)
- **emitter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-emitter)
- **epithet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/either-vs-epithet)
- **eater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eater-vs-either)

## Common misspellings (8)
`eihter`, `eitehr`, `eitherr`, `eithher`, `eithre`, `eitther`, `etiher`, `iether`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/either