<span style="color: #F16154">some</span> 3 /s/ /uh/ /m/ advanced

Deeper Dive: some

Word Story Text
Should be pronounced “soam”. Earlier in the history of English, it was. Over time, the long vowel O got shortened to something easier to say: uh. That gave us “sum” as the pronunciation. The spelling stayed the same.

S-U-M is used for an unrelated word, SUM as in arithmetic. The two “sums” are homophones: sound the same, different spellings, different meanings.

The “um” sound is spelled a lot of ways.

The sensible way: UM as in DRUM GUM and PLUM

Then we have UM words with a silent b at the end: crumb thumb and dumb

We’ve got the some and come twins.

And a real oddball, FROM.

Children have to learn “some” because it’s such a common word it can’t be avoided. Taken in isolation it seems like a word that has to be memorized because it violates the silent -e rule.

But, SOME has friends.

It can be grouped with HF compound words such as

Sometime, something, somewhere, somebody.
Which readers also need to learn.

Some also occurs at the back of words like Awesome and Fearsome. Those are fun words for children.

There are some weird ones too: handsome wholesome, cumbersome

Mnemonic
some dumb gum

Homephones
sum

Is it a homonym?
no

Is it a homograph?
no

Antonyms
none

Quotes

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue. J Andrew Taylor

Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare

You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. Abraham Lincoln

Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster. Elon Musk

Collocations
some day

some time

quite some something

some day

some hope!

take some doing

and then some

kick some butt

some rough edges

Are you looking for some?

Lyrics
Somebody that I used to know; 2011 Grammy Award by Gotye

Mnomonic

some dumb, gum

some (-sōm). A combining form or suffix from Gr. σῶμα (gen. σώματος) the body; as in merosome, a body segment; cephalosome, etc.

Some (-sŭm). [AS. -sum; akin to G. & OHG. -sam, Icel. samr, Goth. lustusams longed for. See Same, adjective, and cf. Some, adjective] An adjective suffix having primarily the sense of like or same, and indicating a considerable degree of the thing or quality denoted in the first part of the compound; as in mettlesome, full of mettle or spirit; gladsome, full of gladness; winsome, blithesome, etc.

Some (sŭm), adjective [OE. som, sum, AS. sum; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. sum, OD. som, D. sommig, Icel. sumr, Dan. somme (pl.), Sw. somlige (pl.), Goth. sums, and E. same. √191. See Same, adjective, and cf. -some.] 1. Consisting of a greater or less port

1. Consisting of a greater or less portion or sum; composed of a quantity or number which is not stated; – used to express an indefinite quantity or number; as, some wine; some water; some persons. Used also pronominally; as, I have some.
Some theoretical writers allege that there was a time when there was no such thing as society. Blackstone.

2. A certain; one; – indicating a person, thing, event, etc., as not known individually, or designated more specifically; as, some man, that is, some one man.
“Some brighter clime.” Mrs. Barbauld.

Some man praiseth his neighbor by a wicked intent. Chaucer.

Most gentlemen of property, at some period or other of their lives, are ambitious of representing their county in Parliament. Blackstone.
3. Not much; a little; moderate; as, the censure was to some extent just.

4. About; near; more or less; – used commonly with numerals, but formerly also with a singular substantive of time or distance; as, a village of some eighty houses;
some two or three persons; some hour hence. Shak.

The number slain on the rebel’s part were some two thousand. Bacon.
5. Considerable in number or quantity.
“Bore us some leagues to sea.” Shak.

On its outer point, some miles away.
The lighthouse lifts its massive masonry. Longfellow.
6. Certain; those of one part or portion; – in distinction from other or others; as, some men believe one thing, and others another.
Some [seeds] fell among thorns; . . . but other fell into good ground. Matt. xiii. 7, 8.
7. A part; a portion; – used pronominally, and followed sometimes by of; as, some of our provisions.
Your edicts some reclaim from sins,
But most your life and blest example wins. Dryden.

All and some
one and all. See under All, adverb [Obs.]
☞ The illiterate in the United States and Scotland often use some as an adverb, instead of somewhat, or an equivalent expression; as, I am some tired; he is some better; it rains some, etc.

Some . . . some
one part . . . another part; these . . . those; – used distributively.

Some to the shores do fly,
Some to the woods, or whither fear advised. Daniel.
☞ Formerly used also of single persons or things: this one . . . that one; one . . . another.
Somein his bed, Some in the deep sea. Chaucer.

-- Webster's unabridged 1913

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