Sometimes, Sometime, or Some Time | Definitions
Sometimes, sometime, and some time are pronounced the same, but they have different meanings and uses.
- Sometimes means “every once in a while” (e.g., “Sometimes I sing”).
- Sometime means “at an undetermined point in time” (e.g., “Let’s have lunch sometime”), and it’s occasionally used as an adjective that means “former.”
- Some time is a two-word phrase that means “a span of time” (e.g., “I took some time to rest”).
| Sometimes in a sentence examples | Sometime in a sentence examples | Some time in a sentence examples |
|---|---|---|
| Sometimes when it’s raining, I sit by the window and read.
I enjoy jumping into the lake sometimes when the sun is out. |
The package will arrive sometime between today and tomorrow.
We will be landing sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 pm. |
We took some time to mentally prepare for the championship game.
I took some time to take some deep breaths before taking the exam. |
Sometimes
“Sometimes” is an adverb that means “now and then” or “from time to time.” When someone says they sometimes complete their chores, that indicates they finish them occasionally, rather than consistently or all the time.
I told her that sometimes I go straight home after work, and other times I go to the gym.
We bake cupcakes and cookies sometimes.
Sometime
“Sometime” is a one-word adverb that means “at some point in time.” For example, if someone says, “Let’s have lunch on Tuesday,” they are suggesting a specific date. In contrast, if they say, “Let’s have lunch sometime,” they are proposing having lunch at an indefinite future time.
My cousin mentioned that she’d like to learn French sometime.
Abigail lost her phone and wallet sometime last night while at the mall.
Although a lot less common, “sometime” can also be used as an adjective that means “former” (e.g., “She was a sometime beauty pageant winner”). Archaically, it was used to mean “occasional” (e.g., “He was a sometime trivia contestant”).
Some time
“Some time” is a two-word phrase that refers to an elapsed span of time. If someone says they’re going to take some time to rest, that means they’ll rest for a period of time (it could be five minutes, an hour, or more).
Additionally, “some time” is often used when referring to a long period of time (e.g., “Some time ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth”).
It’s been some time since we last met for coffee.
The tradition began some time ago.
Sometime vs some time
“Sometime” and “some time” are homophones related to time, which is why so many people struggle to use them correctly.
Use “sometime” when referring to a vague, unspecified, or undetermined point in time.
- I’d love to go freediving sometime.
- I’d love to go free diving some time.
Use “some time” when referring to a duration, meaning “a period of time” or a “considerable amount of time.”
- Let’s take some time to finish the project.
- Let’s take sometime to finish the project.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help ensure you’re using sometime and some time correctly.
Frequently asked questions about sometimes, sometime, or some time
- Is it sometime or some time next week?
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Sometime (one word) refers to an unspecified point of time, whereas some time (two words) refers to a duration of time. Therefore, the correct phrase is “sometime next week” (e.g., “Are you available sometime next week?”).
Try Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker to ensure you never mix up tricky homophones.
- Is it are you free sometime or some time?
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The correct phrase is “are you free sometime?”
“Sometime” (one word) means “at some unspecified point in time” (e.g., “I should try it sometime”), whereas “some time” (two words) refers to a span of time (e.g., “I took some time to practice”).
