Nonetheless vs. nevertheless—which word should you use, and when? Because these two words are so similar, they often cause confusion. The truth is, both of these words are conjunctive adverbs—but although many people use these words interchangeably, there are some slight nuances that make them different. Read on for a deeper look at the subtle differences between nonetheless and nevertheless and their correct usage.
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What Is Nevertheless?
Nevertheless is a conjunctive adverb, a special type of adverb that connects two ideas together.
When people use the word “nevertheless,” they mean “in spite of that.”
In other words, they are communicating that what they are about to say may seem to contradict what they’ve just said, but it is still true anyway.
There are multiple ways you can format “nevertheless” in a sentence.
You can put it in the middle of your sentence like this:
"I didn't consider Jessica to be a close friend; nevertheless, I did attend her wedding since she invited me."Alternatively, you can put the word at the start of your sentence like this:
"I don't like to hike. Nevertheless, I'll go with you since it's your birthday wish."You can even put this versatile word at the very end of a sentence:
"I know you like to hang out at an arcade, but it's my favorite thing to do nevertheless." Synonyms of Nevertheless
The concept that the word “nevertheless” communicates is common. As. a matter of fact, there are other similar words and phrases you can use:
- Be that as it may
- Even so
- All the same
- Still
- Despite everything
What Is Nonetheless?
Just like nevertheless, “nonetheless” is a conjunctive adverb.
It functions in the same way—joining together two independent clauses by making the link between each idea clear.
For instance, let’s say you wanted to communicate two ideas:
- The new movie is bad.
- The new movie was a box office success.
“Nonetheless” would be the perfect word to connect these ideas:
"The new movie is bad; nonetheless, it was a box office success." In this example, you are communicating that the second idea is true even though it seems to conflict with the first idea.
Synonyms of Nonetheless
Like nevertheless, there are many words that mean the same thing as nonetheless:
- However
- Yet
- Regardless
- Despite that
- At any rate
What’s the Main Difference?
When it comes to nonetheless vs. nevertheless, it’s true that these two words are very similar. But if you want your English writing and speech to be more nuanced, you can dive a little deeper to understand their subtle differences.
The key difference lies in the root of each word—” never” vs. “none.”
The word “never” is related to time. If something is never going to happen, then that means it will not happen at any point in time.
The word “none” is related to quantity or amount. If you ask someone how much knowledge they have about a topic and they say “none,” that means they have zero understanding of the subject.
With this difference in mind, you can use nevertheless in situations that refer to time, while nonetheless is a better fit when your sentence deals with a measurable amount of something.
When to Use Nonetheless?
Since the word “none” deals with quantities or measurable contexts, you can choose the word “nonetheless” when discussing a subject that can be measured.
For example:
"There were no spots on the team left for John to fill. Nonetheless, he asked the football coach if he could try out.""She hates the taste of cookies. Nonetheless, she bought some from our bake sale just to support a good cause."When to Use Nevertheless?
Since “nevertheless” suggests a relationship with time, you should choose this word over “nonetheless” if the topic of your sentence relates to time-bound situations or time-related contexts.
For example:
"Sarah's parents told her it was too late to change her college major. Nevertheless, she did it and still graduated early.""After oversleeping, Morgan showed up to her exam with only 10 minutes left to complete the test. Nevertheless, she got the highest grade in her class."Final Thoughts
Many people get confused when they try to choose between nonetheless vs. nevertheless. In reality, you shouldn’t worry too much. Both words are conjunctive adverbs that link together two separate ideas and communicate that the second idea is true in spite that it may conflict with the first idea.
In short, these words, which are categorized in the same part of speech, express contrast or contradiction.
However, if you want to understand the subtle distinction of these words more deeply, then use nonetheless when your sentence relates to measurable quantities, and use nevertheless when you’re talking about time.
