Difference Between Some Time, Sometime, and Sometimes
We don’t blame you for looking up the difference between some time, sometime, and sometimes. After all, they’re nearly identical words with similar meanings. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take some time to expand your vocabulary. You’ll understand the difference sometime, like right after reading this blog.
The Difference Between “Some Time,” “Sometime,” and “Sometimes”
Some time is a two-word phrase which means a “certain period or span of time.”
Sometime refers to an unspecified point of time.
Sometimes is synonymous with “occasionally,” “at times,” and “now and then.”
Some Time
Some time is a phrase consisting of two separate words. In this case, “some” works as an adjective to describe “time,” a noun. Some time refers to a certain period or span of time.
Some time can also mean “a long time” or “quite a while.”
It’s going to take a long time for those flowers to grow back.
It’s going to take quite a while for those flowers to grow back.
Sometime
Sometime is an adverb that represents an unspecified point in time. Often, sometime can be substituted with “someday” or “sooner or later.”
Let’s hang out someday.
Let’s hang out sooner or later.
In extremely rare occurrences, sometime can also be used as an adjective to mean “former.” It has also been used to mean “occasional.” To avoid confusing your readers, it’s best to avoid using this word in these ways, as it is uncommon and not always accepted.
Luisa was a former tennis player turned coach.
Sometimes
Sometimes is an adverb of frequency that means “occasionally,” “at times,” and “now and then.”
“Some time,” “sometime,” and “sometimes” are words that are used differently, depending on the context of the sentence.
Avoid Mixing up Homophones
Mixing up these words can happen to even the most advanced writers. That’s why it’s helpful to have a writing assistant, like LanguageTool, that can pick up on these errors and many more, while also offering a myriad of other improvement suggestions.
