Someone and Somebody are quite similar and can always be used interchangeably. These words share similar meanings but differ from each other in terms of the tone and context they are spoken.
The words Someone and Somebody are synonyms. Generally, many writers and speakers choose to use the word Someone instead of Somebody, which is preferred in formal writings.
Although the word Someone looks more appealing, this does not happen every time. Under some conditions and sentences, the word Somebody sounds more suitable than the word Someone.
Key Takeaways
- Someone and somebody both refers to an unspecified or unknown person.
- Someone is considered more formal than somebody and is often used in more professional settings.
- Somebody is considered more casual than someone and is often used in everyday conversations.
Someone vs. Somebody
“Someone” is an indefinite pronoun for an unknown person. It is used in place of a specific name or noun and can be used in various contexts, such as to ask for help, describe a person, or make a general statement. “Somebody” is a singular indefinite pronoun used to refer to an unspecified or unknown person.
The word Someone is considered more formal to use than the word Somebody just like the words everyone and everybody and the words anyone and anybody. The former words are considered to be more formal as compared to the latter words.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Someone | Somebody |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Someone is used when you are unaware of who the person is, and there are many people to decide from. | Somebody is used when you refer to someone but have fewer people to choose from. |
| In Writing | Someone is used in formal writing. | Somebody is used in slang, casual and unofficial writing. |
| Use | Someone sounds more personal, exclusive, and formal. | Somebody sounds more indefinite, informal, and distant. |
| How It Feels | Someone feels more pleasing and likable. | Somebody does not sound that appealing and is used only on limited occasions. |
| Example | Someone is here to see you, my dear | If somebody’s in a better position, he gains the upper hand. |
What is Someone?
The word Someone is a pronoun. This word is used when you are in between many people and referring to someone you do not know. For example, “Someone left the room and now has gone lost.”
In this case, you are referring to a person who has left the party among so many people, and you have no idea who that person is. The use of Someone comes when there are many people to choose from, but you do not know who the person is.
This word sounds more exclusive and formal in conversations and writings like college essays or work emails with your boss. Someone feels more personal.
For example, “Someone made my day extraordinary!” In this case, the word Someone makes a formal acknowledgment. Another example could be, “I know someone who provides guitar lessons.” The word Someone sounds more appealing and likable.
It is appropriate to use the word Someone in formal writing. An example for Someone: Princess Mary sat alone in her room listening to the sounds in the house, now and then opening her door when someone passed and watching what was happening in the passage.
What is Somebody?
The word Somebody is a pronoun. This word is used when you are at a place and want to refer to a person with a slight importance. For example, “Somebody killed my cat.” In this case, the word somebody refers to the person you might know but is unknown in the current situation.
The word somebody is used when referring to a person from a group of fewer people. This word sounds somewhat informal in conversations and writings. Sometimes in verbal conversations, the word somebody sounds a bit relaxed and informal.
The word Somebody appears to be more concealed and abstract. This word gives the other person a distant, vague, and unreal nuance. The word Somebody is an engaging word but under certain conditions only. It sounds like casual and slang in formal writing.
For example, “Somebody made my day extraordinary!” sounds relaxed and informal. Another example of Somebody could be “Somebody has made a mistake.”
Main Differences Between Someone and Somebody
- The word Someone is used when we have no idea who the person is and there are many people to decide from. On the other hand, the word Somebody is used when we have to refer to a person with fewer people to choose from.
- Someone sounds more personal, exclusive, and formal, whereas Somebody sounds more vague, informal, and distant.
- Someone is used more in formal writings, whereas Somebody is used in slang, casual, and unofficial language.
- Someone looks more pleasing and likable, whereas Somebody lacks engagement, looks less appealing, and is only used under limited circumstances.
- An example for Someone is, “Her first thought was that it was a puppy someone had dropped off.” An example for Somebody is, “I told you sooner or later somebody would take that whip away from you.”
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13596748.2011.549726
- http://hmbul.ru/articles/180/eng/180.pdf
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
