Revised as of
1 Jan 2023
This heterographic pair some vs sum certainly applies to my mathematical abilities — some of my sums just don’t make sense . . . sigh . . .
Then again, some part of me can be brilliant. Just not at sums.
You may want to explore the post, “Some Time vs Sometime vs Sometimes” as well.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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Some | Sum |
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Part of Grammar: | |
Adjective 1; Adverb 1; Combined Form 2; Determiner 1; Pronoun 1; Suffix 3, 4 | Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: sums Third person present verb: sums |
Adjective: Being an undetermined or unspecified one 1 [Used with plural nouns] Certain Of a certain unspecified number, amount, degree, etc. Unspecified but considerable in number, amount, degree, etc. [Informal] Of impressive or remarkable quality, consequence, extent, etc. Adverb:
Combined Form: Determiner: Used to refer to someone or something that is unknown or unspecified [Used with a number] Approximately A considerable amount or number of At least a small amount or number of Expressing admiration of something notable
Pronoun: At least a small amount or number of people or things Suffix:
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Noun: A particular amount of money [the sum of] The total amount resulting from the addition of two or more numbers, amounts, or items
An arithmetical problem, especially at an elementary level Verb, intransitive: Verb, transitive: To ascertain the sum of, as by addition To bring into or contain in a small compass (often followed by up) |
Examples: | |
Adjective: Some person may object. Some days I just want to stay home. I can understand your point to some extent. We talked for some time. He was here some weeks. That was some storm. Adverb: Some 40 people attended the rally. They are some tired. Combined Form: Awesome, dude! Well, that sounds quite adventuresome . . . Oh, don’t be so bothersome. Geez, this thing is cumbersome. Next time you have to move, call someone else. Determiner: He played some records for me. She married some newspaper magnate twice her age. There must be some mistake. He’s in some kind of trouble. There are some thirty different languages spoken here at the conference. He went to some trouble. I’ve known you for some years now. He liked some music but generally wasn’t musical. Wow, that was some goal! Mr. Power gave his stock reply: “Some help.” Pronoun: If you want whiskey, I’ll give you some. Surely some have noticed? Suffix: Dolly is so wholesome looking. They are such a tiresome couple. We can make up a foursome for bridge. Threesomes can get pretty kinky. |
Noun: They could not afford such a sum. The sum of two prime numbers. If that’s the sum of his own knowledge, we’re in trouble. And what is the sum of 2 + 2? It was the sum total of his existence. This interpretation does little, in sum, to add to our understanding. The books he read were chiefly historical, and on these he spent a certain sum every year (How). Verb, intransitive: When the judge summed up it was clear he wanted a guilty verdict. To sum up, I would say you should admit your guilt. Verb, transitive: George summed him up in a second. Jenny, you’ll sum up our case for the prosecution. |
Derivatives: | |
Adjective: sumless Noun: sumlessness Verb, transitive: outsum, outsummed, outsumming |
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Phrasal Verb | |
sum someone up sum something up sum up |
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History of the Word: | |
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Middle English, via the Old French from the Latin summa meaning main part or sum total, the feminine of summus meaning highest. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Some versus Sum
Apple Dictionary.com
The Free Dictionary: some, sum
“How to Use Sum in a Sentence.” Your Dictionary.com. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://sentence.yourdictionary.com/sum#wZSPlkCOeIlJVCKd.99>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Some of this is my work . . . oh, heck, the sum of these sums is my work.