"somewhere" vs. "someplace"

[Space60]

Do you ever use "someplace"? It is apparently not used outside North American, while in the United States it is used interchangeably with "somewhere". However even in the United States "someplace" is not all that common and "somewhere" is largely preferred.

[JT the Ninja]

I think I usually only hear "someplace" in the context of "someplace else," but "somewhere" works in all contexts.

[Linguoboy]

I think I usually only hear "someplace" in the context of "someplace else," but "somewhere" works in all contexts.

"someplace" is also considered too colloquial for very formal contexts. I can't really say when I'd prefer it to "somewhere" in my speech.

[mèþru]

never heard someplace before, live in NJ

[Space60]

While "somewhere" is largely preferred to "someplace", "sometime" is preferred to "somewhen" which is rarely used.

[Zaarin]

While "somewhere" is largely preferred to "someplace", "sometime" is preferred to "somewhen" which is rarely used.

"Somewhen" is a word...? At any rate, I probably wouldn't find it remarkable if someone used the word "someplace," but I can't say I hear it often. Contrast "someone" vs. "somebody" which seem to be used more freely (though in my observation people tend to favor one or the other; I prefer "someone").

[zompist]

This is a case where I wish I could have a log of you guys' speech for a week. I bet most Americans say it plenty without remembering.

These sentences, grabbed from Google, sound fine to me:

Let's go out someplace nice.
Where's my wallet? It has to be here someplace.
A meal at Jerk Shack takes you someplace else.
Friday fun: what is someplace you'd never been?
Phoenecia announces it's closing at year's end and looking for someplace new.

Frank Zappa and Mr. Rogers both have songs about "someplace else"... can't get more authoritative than that.

[Kuroda]

I definitely use both. Agree that there's a register issue here: in formal speech or writing I'd only use "somewhere". Casually though, there is a weak functional difference, I think (for myself anyway):

"Somewhere" is likely to be both indefinite and nonspecific, as in neither I or who I'm speaking with knows the location I'm talking about. "This bar is too crowded, let's go somewhere else." It might not even be a different bar; it's just some totally undefined location.

"Someplace" is also indefinite but might be specific: I don't expect anyone listening to know what I'm talking about, but I am referring to a particular, unique entity (or small set of entities). "This bar is too crowded, let's go someplace else." Implied: another place like this place (a bar), or I have a place in mind but we haven't spoken of it yet in this conversation, or there's only three places open in this hick town at this hour to choose from, etc.

If a friend calls up and says, "Hey, let's go someplace this weekend", I'm subliminally thinking she has an actual destination in mind that she just hasn't mentioned to me yet, or that what's to be decided is which of the places we both know about already (from previous visits, say). If she says "Hey, let's go somewhere this weekend", I'm probably going to assume "somewhere" = "anywhere (or close to it)", that the subtext is sorta "let's get out of here, any place but here!".

Also, I have a vague sense of "somewhere" being more broad or large in actual spatial terms if contrasted with "someplace". The difference between Bob moved somewhere -- Canada, vs Bob moved someplace -- in with his ex, to get away from the amateur linguists.

But in formal/written use, nah, I'd always expect to hear "somewhere".

Does that ring any bells with anyone? (Hope I'm using definiteness and specificity correctly here; at best I always struggled to remember which was which.)

[Vijay]

I don't think I use "someplace" super-often, but I'm sure I've used it multiple times (and both heard and read it even more times). I have a hard time imagining an Indian (born and raised in India) saying "someplace," although I have heard a nice Indian (middle-class, of course) auntie in a sari and jewelry at an Indian party use "douche" in the figurative sense before, so who knows!

[Jonlang]

I've never heard "someplace" anywhere in the UK – just sayin'.

[magb]

I've never heard "someplace" anywhere in the UK – just sayin'.

You most likely have. However, you probably don't see it written down much, so it feels unfamiliar.

Zomp mentioned some songs that use the word. Here are some songs by British artists with "someplace" in the lyrics, or even in the title:

https://genius.com/George-harrison-some ... lse-lyrics
https://genius.com/Jake-bugg-someplace-lyrics
https://genius.com/Rita-ora-anywhere-lyrics
https://genius.com/One-direction-summer-love-lyrics (technically spelled "some place" here, but it's hard to tell the difference in a song)

They could all be influenced by or deliberately using American vernacular, but it's still pretty strong evidence that British people use the word sometimes.

[alice]

To me it sounds like an Americanism, like "zee" or "food to go".

[JT the Ninja]

While "somewhere" is largely preferred to "someplace", "sometime" is preferred to "somewhen" which is rarely used.

"Somewhen" is a word...? At any rate, I probably wouldn't find it remarkable if someone used the word "someplace," but I can't say I hear it often. Contrast "someone" vs. "somebody" which seem to be used more freely (though in my observation people tend to favor one or the other; I prefer "someone").

I think I'm going to start using the word "somewhen." And maybe "somewhy."

[Linguoboy]

This has also got me thinking about the alternation between somehow/anyhow and someway/anyway(s).

[alice]

Nobody yet has mentioned "somewhat" as a rather daffy alternative to "something".

[Zaarin]

Nobody yet has mentioned "somewhat" as a rather daffy alternative to "something".

...That's not what "somewhat" means in my dialect. For me, "somewhat" is a synonym to "a little bit, slightly, sort of, etc."

[Imralu]

Yeah, as a non-American, "someplace" just sounds very American to me and I can't be more specific about that. It sounds like "anyways" and "quite a way's away" etc.

I do use "sometime" though ... and I've never heard "somewhen" except maybe as a joke.

[Jonlang]

I've never heard "someplace" anywhere in the UK – just sayin'.

You most likely have. However, you probably don't see it written down much, so it feels unfamiliar.

Zomp mentioned some songs that use the word. Here are some songs by British artists with "someplace" in the lyrics, or even in the title:

https://genius.com/George-harrison-some ... lse-lyrics
https://genius.com/Jake-bugg-someplace-lyrics
https://genius.com/Rita-ora-anywhere-lyrics
https://genius.com/One-direction-summer-love-lyrics (technically spelled "some place" here, but it's hard to tell the difference in a song)

They could all be influenced by or deliberately using American vernacular, but it's still pretty strong evidence that British people use the word sometimes.

Songs are contrived and lyrics are often chosen because they fit, not because they're common in speech. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rita Ora's song and One Direction's song were both penned by an American hit-maker to be quite honest. But in the UK you'll be very hard pushed to find someone who natively uses "someplace" instead of "somewhere" in speech.