Somethings Vs Some Things | Clear Rules For Usage

You’ve seen both spellings online, and they don’t feel equal. One shows up in clean, edited writing. The other pops up in captions, comments, and quick drafts. If you’re writing for class, work, or a blog, you want the version that reads natural and won’t raise eyebrows.

This guide gives you a simple rule, then shows the edge cases that make people hesitate. You’ll get sentence patterns, a quick self-check, and a small practice set so the choice sticks.

Somethings Vs Some Things In Writing: What Changes

Most of the time, the space is the whole story. Some things means “several things.” It points to a group, even when you don’t name each item. Somethings is the plural of something, and English doesn’t use it often outside a few set uses.

So the default is easy: write some things unless you have a clear reason to treat “something” as a countable noun in the plural, or you’re using a compound like “twenty-somethings.”

Form	What It Means	When You’ll See It
some things	several items, points, or actions	daily writing, school work, reports, posts
something	one unspecified thing	“I heard something,” “Something feels off”
somethings	plural of “something” (rare)	lists, abstract talk, playful tone
twenty-somethings	people in their twenties	age-range labels in writing and speech
fifty-somethings	people in their fifties	the same pattern for other decades
something’s	possessive of “something”	“something’s handle,” “something’s surface”
some thing	“some” + singular “thing” (uncommon)	careful comparison: “some thing, not another”
something else	a different thing	“Try something else,” “I meant something else”

When To Write “Some Things” With A Space

If you mean more than one item, idea, or task, the spaced version is your friend. It fits speech patterns we use all day, and it reads clean in edited prose.

Use It For A Countable Group

When you can swap in “a few things” or “several things,” you want the space. The reader hears “plural” right away.

• I forgot some things on the grocery list.
• She shared some things that helped the team.
• We changed some things in the draft before turning it in.

Use It When You’re Being Vague On Purpose

Sometimes you don’t want to name each detail. “Some things” lets you stay general without sounding odd.

• I heard some things about the schedule.
• There are some things we should fix before we publish.
• He learned some things the hard way.

Use It When A “Things” List Follows

Writers often tee up a list with “some things,” then add a colon or a dash. The space keeps the list intro clear.

Sample: “Before the trip, pack some things: chargers, snacks, and a pen.”

When “Somethings” Makes Sense

“Somethings” exists, but it’s picky. In many sentences it sounds like a typo, so you only use it when the sentence treats “something” like a noun you can count in the plural.

Plural “Something” In A List Or Comparison

Writers use “somethings” when they’re talking about a set of unnamed items as items, not as a vague group. This tends to show up in reflective writing, fiction voice, or playful lines.

• He collects little somethings from each trip.
• I wrote down a few somethings to help me start the essay.
• She traded the big plans for small somethings that felt doable.

If you’re unsure, check a dictionary entry for SOMETHING and notice how common the singular form is compared with the plural in everyday use.

Hyphenated Age Labels Like “Twenty-Somethings”

This is the place most people have seen “somethings” in clean writing. “Twenty-somethings,” “thirty-somethings,” and similar labels refer to people in a decade of age. The hyphen signals a compound, and the plural -s lands on the whole label.

• The cafe was full of twenty-somethings with laptops.
• A group of forty-somethings met for lunch after the reunion.

Titles, Brands, And Creative Voice

You may see “Somethings” in a book title, a playlist name, or a brand label. Titles bend normal grammar on purpose. In body text, stay with the standard rule unless you’re quoting the title.

Why Editors Prefer The Spaced Version

Editors care about speed and clarity. When a reader meets “somethings” in the middle of a paragraph, the brain can snag for a beat. That pause is small, but it adds up across a page.

“Some things” avoids that snag because it matches a common grammar pattern: some + plural noun. Cambridge’s grammar notes on some show how often we use “some” with plural nouns to mean an unspecified number.

There’s also a tone issue. In many contexts, “somethings” reads informal or playful. That can work in fiction, chat, or a personal essay. In academic writing, business email, and most informational posts, the spaced form fits the expected register.

How To Style The Phrase In Titles And Headings

In a heading, keep the words readable. If you mean “several items,” write some things as two words, even in a short title. Readers scan headings, so the spaced form helps the eye land on meaning without a double-take.

If you’re using an age label, keep the hyphen: twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings. In most style guides, the hyphen stays because the first part works like a modifier. If you drop it, the phrase can look like a typo or a missing word.

One tip: don’t force “somethings” into a heading just to sound clever. If the line is doing real work—teaching, warning, or setting up a list—clean wording beats a wink. Save playful plural “somethings” for places where voice matters more than quick clarity.

Common Mix-Ups That Cause Confusion

These slip-ups show up a lot in drafts. Fixing them is less about memorizing rules and more about asking one fast question: “Am I pointing to a group, or am I naming a plural noun built from something?”

Mix-Up 1: Using “Somethings” When You Mean “Several Things”

In normal sentences, “somethings” can sound like the writer ran words together. If your sentence would still work with “a few things,” use the space.

• Draft: “I need to tell you somethings.”
• Clean: “I need to tell you some things.”

Mix-Up 2: Missing The Apostrophe In “Something’s”

“Something’s” is possessive, or it can stand in for “something is.” If you mean ownership, you need the apostrophe. If you mean plural, you don’t.

• Possessive: “I grabbed something’s strap and pulled.”
• Plural: “I grabbed a few somethings from the desk.”
• Contraction: “Something’s wrong with the sound.”

Mix-Up 3: Confusing “Some Thing” With “Something”

“Some thing” is two separate words, and it usually shows up when you’re stressing a comparison: one specific thing out of many possible things. Most writers never need it.

• Comparison: “I need some thing I can hold, not a promise.”
• Normal: “I need something I can hold.”

Mix-Up 4: Search Boxes And Autocorrect

Autocorrect can turn “some things” into one word, or it can split “something” into two words. Quick fix: read the sentence out loud. If you hear “several,” keep the space. If you hear “one unknown item,” use “something.”

Fast Tests That Settle The Choice

You don’t need grammar jargon to get this right. Run one of these quick swaps:

1. Swap test: Replace your phrase with “a few things.” If it fits, write some things.
2. Singular test: Replace it with “something.” If your meaning turns singular, you wanted the one-word form, not the plural.
3. Age-label test: If the phrase is “twenty-somethings” or another decade label, keep the hyphen and the plural -s.

Here’s the quick takeaway you can use mid-sentence: in somethings vs some things, the space does the heavy lifting in almost all practical writing.

Rewrite Patterns For Clean, Natural Sentences

If you keep landing on “somethings” and it feels risky, rewrite the sentence so the meaning stays crisp. These patterns work in essays, emails, and blog posts.

Pattern 1: Name The Category

Instead of a vague plural, pick a category word that matches your topic. It turns a fuzzy line into a clear one.

• “I learned some things” → “I learned a few rules.”
• “She shared some things” → “She shared a few tips.”
• “We changed some things” → “We changed a few details.”

Pattern 2: Use “A Couple Of” Or “A Few”

When you want a casual tone, “a couple of things” or “a few things” reads smooth and avoids the spelling question.

Pattern 3: Use A Verb That Does The Work

Sometimes the sentence is carrying too much weight on “things.” A stronger verb can make the object less vague.

• “I did some things to fix it” → “I tweaked the settings.”
• “We did some things in the draft” → “We trimmed the intro and reordered the points.”

Quick Table For Last-Second Checks

Use this when you’re proofreading and your eyes are tired. It’s built to answer the “What do I type?” question in a glance.

If You Mean…	Write This	Sentence Frame
several items or points	some things	I need to fix some things before I send it.
one unknown item	something	I heard something in the hallway.
plural “something” as countable nouns	somethings	She keeps little somethings on the shelf.
people in an age range	twenty-somethings	The class had a mix of twenty-somethings and parents.
ownership by an unnamed thing	something’s	Something’s label fell off in the box.
comparison with stress on “thing”	some thing	I need some thing real, not a rumor.
a different option	something else	Let’s try something else and move on.

Mini Practice Set

Try these fast. Hide the answers, pick the form that fits, then check yourself. This kind of repetition makes the rule feel automatic.

Practice 1: Choose The Spacing

1. I have ______ to tell you before we start.
2. The drawer has ______ in it that don’t belong there.
3. The park was full of ______ on scooters.
4. ______ wrong with this file name.

Answers With A Brief Reason

• some things — more than one point you’ll share.
• some things — several items in the drawer.
• twenty-somethings — an age label.
• Something’s — short for “Something is,” or it can be possessive if the context is ownership.

One-Pass Proofread Checklist

Use this checklist when you’re done writing and want a clean read without second-guessing yourself.

• Did you mean “several”? If yes, type some things.
• Did you mean “one unknown item”? If yes, type something.
• Is it an age label like “thirty-somethings”? Keep the hyphen and plural -s.
• Did you mean “something is” or ownership? Use something’s.
• Does “somethings” sound like a run-on? Rewrite with “a few things” or name the items.

If you searched somethings vs some things because you want the clean choice, stick with some things for almost every sentence. Save “somethings” for age labels and rare plural-noun uses that sound right when you read them out loud.