Never mind (nevermind?) is a popular phrase in speech and writing, but there is some confusion on how the word ought to be written.
Is nevermind one word or should it be spelled never mind?
What is the Difference Between Nevermind and Never Mind?
Aside from the obvious space, is there any difference between these two words? And which one is correct to use?
In this post, I want to outline the current landscape of these spellings and advise the writer on how to proceed. After reading this post, you shouldn’t ever again wonder, “Is it nevermind or never mind?”
When to Use Nevermind
A humorous way to describe the difference between nevermind and never mind is that nevermind is a Nirvana album, and never mind is the phrase you are thinking of.
Yes, the popularity of the one-word nevermind could have been enhanced by the American rock band’s 1991 album, but this spelling is still rarely seen in print. You can find occasional examples of it in newspapers, but it is rarely, if ever, used in book publication (see below).
Unless you are referring to a specific album or song title that uses nevermind as a single word, avoid the one-word spelling in your writing.
When to Use Never Mind
What does never mind mean? Never mind (two words) is the correct spelling of the phrase. Never mind is used to tell someone not to be concerned or worried.
- Never mind that commodity prices are plummeting all over the world and we are on the edge of a deflationary spiral. Why let reality get in the way of politics? –The New York Times
- Never mind that Erickson’s neighbor is Osweiler’s de facto boss. And never mind that Erickson’s neighbor, former Denver legend John Elway, was the man that ostensibly drafted Osweiler to someday replace another legendary Denver quarterback in Peyton Manning. –The Washington Post
This two-word spelling is the traditional spelling of the phrase, and it is used much more frequently than the one-word.
The above graph charts nevermind vs. never mind over the past 200 years of printed English books. The contrast is pretty stark.
Even if the use of nevermind were underestimated in the ngram by 10 times, never mind would still be 10 times as popular in writing. The preference is clear, and the traditional one-word spelling never mind predominates.
Trick to Remember the Difference
Here’s a good trick to remember never mind vs. nevermind.
When you’re writing never mind in your sentences, just think about what the word means and you will be all set.
- Never mind means don’t bother or don’t worry.
If you can associate never mind with other two-word phrases like don’t bother and don’t worry, you will be all set.
Summary
Is it never mind or nevermind? The correct phrase is spelled out into two separate words, and it is important that the writer use it accordingly, especially in formal writing.
Never mind is the correct spelling of the phrase.
Nevermind is a misspelling.
Contents
- 1 What is the Difference Between Nevermind and Never Mind?
- 2 When to Use Nevermind
- 3 When to Use Never Mind
- 4 Trick to Remember the Difference
- 5 Summary
Meaning of Idiom ‘Never Mind’
The idiom never mind is used to tell someone to disregard something; to take no notice of something; to not worry about something; to not be troubled by something, or to not be upset by something.
The most common way of using this idiom is to tell someone to disregard something you said or to take no notice of something.
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Examples Of Use
“Can you chop some onions while I start on dinner, please? Wait, never mind, I forgot you had to help Billy with his homework.”
“My ear hurts and according to the internet I have an ear infection!” said Peter.
“Never mind that, you don’t have an infection. You probably just need to clean your ear!” replied Paula.
“I’m sorry I forgot to put gas in your car,” said Sophia. “Never mind, I still had plenty to get to work. I filled up after,” replied Luke.
“Never mind that he overstepped his authority. He actually broke the law!”
Never mind can also mean the same as ‘to say nothing of’ or ‘let alone.’ In this way, it emphasizes that a preceding statement is more notable and important than
the one to follow.
“He has one of the most successful vineyards in the United States, never mind Virginia.”
A very similar idiom is never you mind.
Never you mind has quite a different meaning so you do not want to mistakenly use it when you mean to say never mind.
Never you mind means it’s of no concern to you; it’s none of your business; I’m not going to tell you.
“Where have you been all day?” asked Nigel. “Never you mind,” said Mindy.
Never mind the idiom should always be spelled as two separate words. When it is spelled as one word, nevermind, it is a colloquial way of saying concern, business, affair, attention, etc. and is used in idioms such as “It’s none of your nevermind” or “pay it no nevermind” the last being similar to the usage of never mind but a bit ruder sounding.
More Idioms Starting with N
More Mind Idioms
More Never Idioms
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#1
Hi all!
Sorry for the silly question but is «never mind» one word or two separate ones. I see it spelt as one word too often but that does not really make sense!
It’s definitely two separate words as far as I’m concerned, but what say you?
Last edited: Apr 19, 2010
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#3
It is two separate words. I have never seen it written as one.
HG
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#7
It is not a question of «purists and grammarians». It has more to do with some sort of accepted literate standard forms and not being a comic book writer or any of the other sorts mentioned. It might also be a question of not speaking a language that doesn’t distinguish between B and V.
But who knows, the accepted standard form in a few decades time might be ‘nebamin’. There’ll be a forum with learned people telling how, in the early 21st century, it used to be «Never mind!»
HG
Never mind is used as a conjunction to mean «let alone» and, imperatively, to suggest disregard—for example, «Never mind him» or «Never mind, I’ll do it.» The single-word or closed form nevermind is a noun meaning «concern» and is seen in the example «pay him no nevermind.» While «never mind» is more common as two words, increasingly the imperative use is being seen as one word, and even the abbreviations nvm and nm are common in text and the internet.
Never mind the photo choice, here’s the usage advice.
‘Never Mind’ as a Conjunction and an Imperative
There must be something very comprehensive in this phrase of «Never mind,» for we do not recollect to have ever witnessed a quarrel in the street, at a theatre, public room, or elsewhere, in which it has not been the standard reply to all belligerent inquiries. «Do you call yourself a gentleman, Sir?»—»Never mind, Sir.»
— Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1837
Never mind has a conjunction function in English. It’s a term that joins together sentences, clauses, other phrases, or words—and has nuances of meaning ranging from «much less» and «let alone.» It is used in negative contexts, and it precedes an option, idea, situation, etc., followed by another that is less likely. Take for example, «With my injured knee I can hardly walk, never mind run» or «I can barely understand it, never mind explain it.» The phrase is also used imperatively to tell a person to disregard or dismiss something said.
Never mind—I’ll do it myself.
«What is that supposed to mean?» «Never mind.»
I wouldn’t mind having another piece of pie, but never mind—I already had two.
Do you know where my keys are? Oh, never mind. Here they are.
‘Nevermind’ as a Noun
Never mind is most often spelled as two words—unless it is used as a noun. The closed (or hyphenated) noun form, nevermind, is dialectal and has the meaning of «interest,» «concern,» or «attention.» It, like its conjunction cousin, is used in contexts implying indifference, disregard, or dismissal.
That’s no nevermind of yours.
Don’t pay him no nevermind; he’s just teasing.
Well, it don’t make no never-mind.»
— Peter Benchley, Jaws, 1974
The adverb never originates from Old English nǣfre (from ne, meaning «not,» plus ǣfre, «ever»), and true to form it means «not ever» or «at no time,» as in «I have never met her» or «Never in my whole life have I been so happy.» The base word mind is a verb that is often used in idiomatic, usually negative, imperative constructions suggesting that someone should show (or not show) concern about something, worry (or not worry) about something, or pay (or not pay) attention to something.
Mind your manners.
Please mind your business/beeswax.
Don’t mind him; he’s grumpy.
I don’t mind going.
I never minded her reminiscences of her younger years.
Never (you) mind that; we must be going.
(You) never mind (it)—there are more important things to deal with.
The noun mind is used with similar meaning often in the colloquial expression «Pay him/her no mind.» Mind meaning «attention» goes back to, like nevermind does, the 20th century.
As a conjunction and an imperative, never mind is commonly spelled as an open compound; however, there is increasing evidence of it closed.
Nevermind that Harry Potter is responsible for a resurgence in children reading or that the books are about good winning over evil. I’m still trying to find the demonic activity in the six books we own because I really don’t recall any.
— Walter Biscardi, Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 17 Apr. 2006
Abbreviations of ‘Never Mind’
Closing the spelling of compounds is a common linguistic phenomenon, and so is dropping vowels and inconsequential consonants in abbreviations when texting. In social media, never mind is abbreviated NVM (also NM) or lowercase nvm (nm) and is usually used to tersely say «Disregard my last comment.»
On second thought, nvm. #AHS1984 https://t.co/50VSa1wpZ4
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) October 3, 2019
can someone give the news a refresher course on pacing? as soon as i’m reading one story another one comes up like nm that guy quit actually lol & the stock market turned into rabbits k byeee
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) June 3, 2018
Never and mind are old words, but together they form a strong, long-standing conjunction, imperative, and verbal phrase but, more importantly, together they have adapted to social media truncation.
How do you spell when Nevermind?
Nevermind or Never Mind: What’s the Difference?
- Never mind tells someone to disregard a matter. It can also mean “not to mention” or “certainly not.”
- Never mind should be two words in almost all contexts.
- Nevermind (one word) is part of the colloquial expression “[pay something] no nevermind.”
What does Neverminded mean?
1 —used to tell someone not to be concerned about or give attention to something or someone Never mind your mistake: it wasn’t serious. So you made a little mistake! Never mind (about that): it wasn’t serious.’ Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,’ said I. ‘
Is NVM rude?
It could be pretty rude if it seems like you are trying to dismiss something that they are interested in. For this reason, it is best to say nvm only to your friends, who would be okay with it if you accidentally offend them.
What does NVM stand for?
never mind
NVM is an acronym that means never mind. It’s often used as a hashtag.
When “Never Mind” is an insult?
Never mind is a dismissal-an insult. It says that the listener is not important enough to the speaker to repeat what was said. This also applies to “forget it,” “it’s not important,” and “don’t worry about it.” If I hear that from somebody enough times, I don’t bother to interact with them any longer.
Is never mind one word or two?
nevermind is not a word. It’s two words. It’s not one word made from two, like “somewhere” or “anybody”. It’s an imperative verb phrase consisting of a verb (MIND) and an adverb modifying it (NEVER, used in a special sense in this case).
How do you spell Never Mind?
The correct phrase is spelled out into two separate words, and it is important that the writer use it accordingly, especially in formal writing. Never mind is the correct spelling of the phrase. Nevermind is a misspelling.
When to use Nevermind or Never Mind?
Another definition for never mind is when the words are used almost as an interjection to tell the listener not to worry. Most commonly it is used when the audience is trying to figure out a concept or idea, or even simply what the speaker said.