What are the correct pronunciations of these two words?English people and Americans people don’t pronounce them the same way
If they are pronounced differently, that means they are different accents, I would recommend learning to hear both, and picking an accent to speak. As for myself, am listening to many French lessons, but am trying to speak a French-Canadian accent. There seems to be so many of them.
The two pronunciations for each of those two words are both “correct.” There are probably regional differences in how people commonly say them, even within the USA, but personally I mix and match and do not consistently say either one the same way every time. I can’t tell for sure, but it does seem to differ based on if the word comes at the start of a sentence, versus buried within a sentence. All native speakers will understand both pronunciations.
Neither pronunciation is incorrect. Either pronunciation is correct.
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The two acceptable pronunciations are ‘knee-ther/e-ther’ and ‘nigh-ther/eye-ther’. They are both ‘correct’ even within the same country or accent. I don’t feel strongly one way or the other and actually I think I sometimes change up which pronunciation I use.
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‘knee-ther/e-ther’ and ‘nigh-ther/eye-ther’.
Isn’t the latter more common in the UK than in the US?
Certainly possible! To me, an American, both ways are totally OK. Perhaps to a British person knee-ther would sound funny? Interesting thought.
But for a non-native speaker of English, this will really never matter. This is the last thing anyone will notice about one’s accent. So to the OP and anyone else wondering, use whichever one you find easier to say!
I once read that this is one of several examples of American English retaining the original pronunciation after the British pronunciation changed. Sorry, don’t have a reference to back that up.