Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and fine needle non-aspiration cytology (FNNAC) technique were studied in 144 patients of thyroid lesions. The study was single blind and prevented observation bias. The smears were assessed for cellularity, cellular dilution with blood or clot and retention of appropriate architecture. They were then further categorised as unsuitable, adequate, and diagnostically superior for cytological evaluation. After evaluation of FNAC and FNNAC on the basis of these scores, FNAC yielded more cellular material than FNNAC (p < 0.001). In a similar manner FNAC has higher average score for background blood (p < 0.001) than FNNAC. However there was no statistical difference in average architecture score. Both the techniques yielded equal diagnostically unsuitable smears (H" 12%). Diagnostically superior samples were more by FNAC; FNNAC yielded more diagnostically adequate smears.