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"Sometime" (one word) = at an unspecified point in time; "some time" (two words) = a period or amount of time.
Side-by-side comparison
"Sometime" (one word) is the adverb meaning "at an unspecified point in time". "Let's meet sometime" = let's meet at some point in the future (no specific date).
We should catch up sometime, it has been years since we last saw each other.
I plan to visit Japan sometime in the next few years.
Sometime last winter, he decided to quit his corporate job and start his own business.
"Some time" (two words) is an amount or period of time. "It took some time" = it took a while. "Quite some time" = a considerable amount of time. Test: if you can say "a period of time", use two words.
It will take some time to process your application, please allow up to five business days.
She spent some time reviewing the contract before signing it.
I have not seen him in quite some time, probably over a year at this point.
Common mistake
Two classic slips: "It will take sometime" (it is about duration, so it should be "some time") and "We should meet some time" (it is a vague moment, so it should be "sometime"). Keep both apart from "sometimes", with an s, which means "now and then".
Trick to remember it
- •Replace with "at some point", if it works = SOMETIME (one word).
- •Replace with "a while" or "a period of time", if it works = SOME TIME (two words).
- •"I hope to travel sometime" = "at some point." "I need some time to think" = "a while to think."
Quick rule
- •"Sometime" (one word) = at some point (time adverb, replaceable by "at some point").
- •"Some time" (two words) = a period of time (replaceable by "a while" or "a period of time").
Did you know?
The same pattern of sometime/some time repeats in other English words: "somewhere" (in some place, adverb) vs the archaic "some where" (a specific location). "Somehow" (in some way) vs the now-obsolete "some how." "Someone" (a person) vs the archaic "some one." In all these pairs, the one-word version is an indefinite pronoun or adverb, while the two-word version refers to a quantity, instance, or specific place. "Sometime" is one of the few pairs where the spelling distinction remains relevant and consistently marked in modern standard English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
We should catch up _____ . I miss seeing you.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
We need to spend _____ on the planning. It's more complex than we thought.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
"Everyday" (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary or daily; "every day" (two words) means each day.
"Maybe" (one word) = perhaps, possibly; "may be" (two words) = might be, could be.
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy