‘Sometime' vs 'Some Time' vs 'Sometimes': What's the Difference?

You might have seen both ‘sometime’ and ‘some time’ in your everyday life, but what’s the difference between these two? And can they both be used? We’ll go over that in detail below, plus teach you how to use the word in a sentence.

Need a quick answer? Here it is:

• ‘Sometime’ means at some point. It can also be used as an adjective to mean the former.
• 'Sometimes' means occasionally.
• ‘Some time’ refers to a long period of time.

As you can see, these words mean two different things but sound the same, making them homophones. Therefore, they shouldn’t be used interchangeably.

The Difference Between ‘Some Time,’ ‘Sometime,’ and Sometimes

As you might have seen from the first section, the difference between ‘some time’ and ‘sometime’ is that the former can mean at some point or former, and the latter usually means a long period of time.

But what about sometimes?

Sometimes means occasionally.

All these words have slightly different meanings, but they sound the same, making them homophones.

It’s easy to confuse them, so make sure to use the correct one in your writing.

Is It ‘Sometime,’ Sometimes, or ‘Some Time’?  

Well, that depends on the context.

If you’re trying to tell someone you want to hang out at some point, you’d use ‘sometime.’

When talking about something you want to do occasionally, you’d use ‘sometimes.’

However, if you’re trying to say you haven’t been somewhere in a while, you might say you haven’t been there in ‘some time.’

Definition and Meaning of ‘Sometime’ and ‘Some Time’

We know a little bit about what the words mean, but let’s see what the dictionary has to say.

The Merriam-Webster definition of the word ‘sometime’ is at some time in the future, formerly, or occasionally.

You might have heard the idiom ‘some time ago.’

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘Sometime’ and ‘Some Time’

Wondering how to pronounce these words? Here’s a short guide.

• To pronounce both correctly, check out the phonetic spelling: sUHmtIEm

How to Use ‘Sometime’ and ‘Some Time’ in a Sentence

Now it’s time to see how to use both in a sentence correctly, starting with ‘sometime.’

• I’ve seen you around campus. Let’s hang out sometime.
• After I gave him my phone number, I told him I’d text him sometime.
• We both play instruments, so we should jam sometime. It would be more fun than playing alone, don’t you think?
• She always tells me we’ll get together sometime, one of these days. I’m starting to think she’s lying.

Now, let’s see some examples of how to use ‘some time.’

• It’s been some time since we saw our grandmother. I miss her a lot.
• Give it some time, Timmy. They probably have a lot of college admissions essays to read.
• I had some time, so I picked up a fiction book I’ve been meaning to finish for a while now.
• We have some time before the movie starts. Let’s get some snacks and drinks.

Final Thoughts on ‘Sometime’ and ‘Some Time’

To recap, we learned that:

• ‘Sometime’ is an adverb that means at some point. It can also be used as an adjective meaning former.
• ‘Some time’ means a long period of time. It’s an adverb.

As you can see, these words mean two different things but sound the same, making them homophones. Therefore, they shouldn’t be used interchangeably. 

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