---
title: "<> (Not Equal To) (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-non-specified"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: 
  - "database-engine"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "language-reference"
f1_keywords: 
  - "<>"
  - "<>_TSQL"
  - "Not Equal To"
  - "Not Equal"
  - "<>(Not Equal To)"
  - "NOT"
  - "Equal"
dev_langs: 
  - "TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "not equal to operator (<>)"
  - "<> (not equal to operator)"
ms.assetid: 34cf9b38-d589-4be9-925a-116e224609a0
caps.latest.revision: 39
author: "BYHAM"
ms.author: "rickbyh"
manager: "jhubbard"
---
# Not Equal To (Transact SQL) - traditional
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

  Compares two expressions (a comparison operator). When you compare nonnull expressions, the result is TRUE if the left operand is not equal to the right operand; otherwise, the result is FALSE. If either or both operands are NULL, see the topic [SET ANSI_NULLS &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/statements/set-ansi-nulls-transact-sql.md).  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
-- Syntax for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Parallel Data Warehouse  
  
expression <> expression  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *expression*  
 Is any valid [expression](../../t-sql/language-elements/expressions-transact-sql.md). Both expressions must have implicitly convertible data types. The conversion depends on the rules of [data type precedence](../../t-sql/data-types/data-type-precedence-transact-sql.md).  
  
## Result Types  
 **Boolean**  
  
## Examples  
  
### A. Using <> in a simple query  
 The following example returns all rows in the `Production.ProductCategory` table that do not have value in `ProductCategoryID` that is equal to the value 3 or the value 2.  
  
```  
-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
SELECT ProductCategoryID, Name  
FROM Production.ProductCategory  
WHERE ProductCategoryID <> 3 AND ProductCategoryID <> 2;  
  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
ProductCategoryID Name  
----------------- --------------------------------------------------  
1                 Bikes  
4                 Accessories  
  
(2 row(s) affected)  
  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Data Types &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/data-types/data-types-transact-sql.md)   
 [Operators &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/language-elements/operators-transact-sql.md)   
 [Comparison Operators &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../t-sql/language-elements/comparison-operators-transact-sql.md)