either rather

USAGE SUMMARY

Sentence The phrase 'either rather' is not correct and should not be used in written English.
To convey the same meaning, you can use the phrase 'rather either' or 'either or.' For example: I'm not sure whether to take the bus or the train, I think I'll rather either of them.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

29 human-written examples

Most of the French engravings of this period were either rather crude, provincial illustrations or playing cards.

Encyclopedia Britannica

When they do account for these factors, they are based on either rather simplistic or overly complex and data-hungry approaches.

Ecological Modelling

Some of them popped up dialogue boxes designed to alarm the users, talking about accounts being disabled or passwords stolen (they weren't, in either case)." He added: "It's not that complex an attack at all either – rather embarrassing for Twitter that they were caught out by this".

The Guardian - Tech

A quick peek confirms that there's no Xperia branding to be found either — rather, there's a sizable Google logo plastered along the device's rear end.

TechCrunch

However, it is easily noted that these very-high CRI devices show either rather poor luminance/efficiency [7, 10] or somewhat complicated structures [6, 8, 9, 11], which limit their further applications.

Nano-Micro Letters

The most important challenge with respect to coordination is to raise both systems to the highest standard of either rather than dropping one down to the other when a common policy is desirable and to allow differentiation when the parallel systems usefully meet different needs.

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

31 human-written examples

New research can go either way rather than being uniformly alarmist.

University of California, Berkeley

"I would almost capitulate to either side rather than have these things go on," he said.

The New York Times

That £45 tasting menu isn't one to scare the horses, either, but rather a showcase for local produce.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

For that reason, some hikers prefer to park a car at either end rather than pull back up again.

The New York Times

This worry is not really Joe's conscience, either, but rather his anticipation of serious embarrassment and social rejection.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "either rather" in your writing. It's not considered grammatically correct. Use "either or" or "rather either" instead, although "rather either" is also non-idiomatic.

Common error

Don't assume that placing "either" before "rather" creates a valid phrase. The correct phrasing involves using correlative conjunctions properly or choosing more appropriate adverbs.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "either rather" attempts to function as an adverbial modifier, but it does not conform to standard grammatical rules. Ludwig AI identifies it as incorrect. Its intended function is to express a preference or alternative, but the word order is flawed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "either rather" is identified by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. While some examples exist across various sources, its usage is non-standard. It aims to express a preference or alternative, similar to "either or", but the word order makes it ineffective. Ludwig suggests using standard alternatives such as "either or" or rephrasing the sentence for clarity. The contexts where this phrase appears include Science, News & Media and Encyclopedias, indicating a neutral register, but its incorrectness undermines its utility in professional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather either

Switches the order of the words, attempting to correct the phrasing while maintaining the components, although this reordering remains non-idiomatic.

either or

Uses the standard correlative conjunction to present choices.

or rather

Introduces a clarification or correction to a previous statement.

instead

Indicates a substitution for something else.

alternatively

Presents another option or possibility.

on the other hand

Introduces a contrasting point of view.

by contrast

Highlights a difference between two things.

in preference

Indicates a favored choice.

as an alternative

Offers something different to consider.

to put it differently

Restates something in another way to clarify.

FAQs

Is "either rather" grammatically correct?

No, "either rather" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases like "either or" or rephrase your sentence to avoid this construction.

What can I use instead of "either rather"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "either or", "or rather", or rephrase the sentence to use "instead" or "alternatively".

Which is correct, "either rather" or "rather either"?

Neither "either rather" nor "rather either" is considered standard English. While "rather either" attempts to correct the initial phrase, it remains unusual. It is preferable to use standard phrases like "either or".

How can I avoid using "either rather" in a sentence?

Rephrase your sentence to use clearer constructions. For instance, instead of "I'm not sure either rather", say "I'm not sure which "either of"" or "I'm not sure, or rather".