"may never have heard of" vs. "may have never heard of"

[Vibovit]

As in the title...

1. "may never have heard of"
or
2. "may have never heard of"?

"Could have only done" or "could only have done"? Etc.

I take it both constructions are correct, but is there any difference between them (even a subtle one)?

[Tdol]

They're correct. With the first pair, 'may never have heard' is the more common one, so I think the shift to 'may have never heard' could be used to shift a slightly greater emphasis onto the person's lack of knowledge.

[BobK]

Originally Posted by Tdol

They're correct. With the first pair, 'may never have heard' is the more common one, so I think the shift to 'may have never heard' could be used to shift a slightly greater emphasis onto the person's lack of knowledge.

I agree that the format 'may have never heard' can be used to make a point of juxtaposing never and heard.

b