The neutral wire is always white in house circuitry.
I think you might be confusing neutral for ground. In a three wire 220 volt circuit you should have a white, black, and green. The white and black are both hot 110volt legs, and the green is ground. Not all electricians adhere to these guidelines, they might run out of one color and substitute another. You need to check the wires with a voltmeter to be sure. (neutral should be white).