# some

> English word · Pronoun · IPA /sʌm/ · frequency rank #69

## Definitions
1. A certain number, at least two.
2. An indefinite quantity.
3. An indefinite amount; a part. Used mostly with abstract and nonliving objects.
4. Someone, a certain person.

## Etymology
From Middle English som, sum, from Old English sum (“some, a certain one”), from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic *sumaz (“some, a certain one”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one, whole”).
Cognate Scots sum, some (“some”), North Frisian som, sam, säm (“some”), West Frisian sommige, somlike (“some”), dialectal Dutch som, saom (“some”), standard Dutch sommige (“some”), Low German somige (“some”), German dialectal summige (“some”), Danish somme (“some”), Swedish somlig (“some”), Norwegian sum, som (“some”), Icelandic sumur (“some”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 (sums, “one, someone”). More at same.

## Easily confused with
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-son)
- **sum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sum)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sue)
- **sox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sox)
- **soy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-soy)
- **sow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sow)
- **SOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sos)
- **SSE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sse)
- **sop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sop)
- **sou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sou)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sor)
- **STM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-stm)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sot)
- **sov** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sov)
- **sure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sure)
- **soon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-soon)
- **song** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-song)
- **sort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sort)
- **soul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-soul)
- **sons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/some-vs-sons)

## Common misspellings (4)
`osme`, `smoe`, `soem`, `ssome`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/some