What is the difference between the usage of "nevertheless" and "nonetheless"

Question

1. Statements which, although literally true, are ___________ misleading.

2. It was the barest of welcomes, but it was a welcome ____________.

Google dictionary says that "nevertheless" should be used in the first sentence and "nonetheless" should be used in the second one. The meaning of "nonetheless" is given as:

in spite of that; nevertheless.

Does this mean that both the words can be used interchangeably? For some reason "nonetheless misleading" seems inappropriate. Can someone please clarify.

Answer 1

The difference between them is that nevertheless is more appropriate in reference to events or things that might 'never' happen, whereas nonetheless is more appropriate in reference to measurable, quantifiable things that you could say there is 'none' of.

For example:

He did not want to leave. Nevertheless, he did.

'Leaving' is an event that could or could not (never) happen.

He did not like musicals, but he enjoyed the production nonetheless.

This comments on how much he enjoyed something, a measurable amount.

I feel that both your examples require 'nonetheless'. The first is asking whether something is more or less misleading than something else, so it is about measurement. Likewise, the second example compares two kinds of welcome, and says one was no less of a welcome than the other.