Tert vs. Neo?

[Alyssa_Hsu_2K]

I know that tert is when the first carbon of the substituent is a tertiary carbon, and neo is when all but two carbons deviate from continuous chain.

If this is the case, doesn't it mean that tert and neo can be used interchangeably?

[Sangita_Sub_3H]

However, neo can only be used for pentane and up while tert can apply to butane.

[edward_qiao_3I]

Not necessarily - tert is used for when the first Carbon, the Carbon attached to the R-group, we'll say, is attached to three other carbons. Neo is used specifically for a tail end Carbon that is connected to three other carbons.

[nicoleclarke_lec1M]

the way I learned it was that tert applied to 4 or less carbons, and neo applied to 5 or more.

[Dianna Grigorian 1C]

Both "tert" and "neo" are prefixes that apply to the structural arrangement of the subsistent bonded to the carbon atom. However, I think the difference between the two is that tert refers to the plus-like shape that has four carbons, whereas neo is used when there are 5 or more carbons attached.