Anything Vs Anythings: Are They Both Correct? Which To Use

In every language, there are words we often confuse and misspell. Others might get mistaken for having a plural form when they actually do not have one. But do not despair; we are here to help you out and clear your mind on “anything” and “anythings”. We will clarify if both are correct, if not, which is the right one for us, and some other interesting facts about these two words.

To answer the question if both are correct, no; the correct way to spell and say the word would be “anything.” The term “anythings” does not even exist; if the word “thing” is in the plural, this word should be spelled as “any things.” So it is safe to say that “anythings” is a misspelled word.

Now that we have set which one is correct, we can discuss in detail some facts and information about these words. We are going to see some examples too, so you can see the differences in use between “anything” and the correct way of spelling “anythings,” which is “any things.”

Definitions

To start talking in-depth about these words, we first need to mention a few important things about them. For instance, let’s talk about the meaning of each word.

Anything

This word is used to talk about a thing, event, act, object, or situation of any kind, no matter what it could be.

Any thing

This variant of the word is often used to emphasize you are talking about an object in specific, not a person or animal. It is often used when the word “thing” is used in its plural form “things” and when it is needed to add an adjective before the word “thing.”

Anythings

This word does not exist; if “things” must be in the plural form, you should spell it as “any things.”

Origin

The word “anything” comes from the Middle Eglish words “anything,” “enything,” “onything.” These come from Late Old English “aniþing” from the even earlier “ǣniġ þing,” which can be translated to literally “any thing,” so it is the equivalent of “any” + “thing.”

On one side, the word thing originally meant “assembly,” but then it was used to refer to a specific subject discussed in those assemblies. Then, it finally started to represent “an object or item” in its broadest meaning. Since around 1600, it has been used informally to refer to objects that the speaker cannot name at the time.

Synonyms

There are some words and phrases that can be good substitutes for the word anything; below, you can find a few:

• Something
• You name it
• Whatever

Antonyms

Besides similar terms linked to the word anything, we can list a few words that mean something opposite to this word:

• Nothing
• Zero
• All
• Everything
• None

How To Properly Use These Words In A Sentence

The word anything can be used as different types of words. Below, you will discover how it is used in every kind of word as well as some examples for every use:

“Anything” Can Be Used As A Pronoun

When the word “anything” is used as a pronoun, it is to refer to an object, state, act, event, or a fact of any kind, especially when the speaker does not recall the name of those things.

For example:

• I am so hungry after working in that activity that I could eat anything.
• I am not able to see anything from where I am at.

“Anything” Is Also Used As An Adverb

This word is used as an adverb to express that a thing is or is not something in any way, extent, or degree.

For example:

• I haven’t seen anything like the wedding Jessica had.
• That is not anything like a cat. 

“Anything” Could Also Be Used As A Noun

In this case, it will refer to a minimal amount of something, almost or virtually nothing.

For example:

• Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. – The Miranda Rights.
• Is there anything I can assist you with today?

Examples Of The Word “Anything” In Some Sentences

1. She may never tell her husband anything about it, but he would be aware of her feelings in other ways.
2. Not anything could take her thoughts away from the stress of surrogacy, but he was the only person that could.
3. Mr. Jackson, a Stanford University professor, and Mr. Humpfrey’s acquaintance traveled to the Patterson Institution last spring to see whether anything could be done for his friend’s child.
4. I quickly realized that trying to teach her English or anything else would be a huge task unless she learned to follow instructions and concentrate on anything we were doing.
5. One almost wonders if the wisest men have discovered anything of absolute significance just by living.
6. Mike was not really thinking about anything, but he turned his attention from side to side, distractedly and happily.
7. The obvious thing to do was to quit everything and leave, but she had an excellent job and was not even convinced there was anything wrong going on.
8. She felt safe in his strong arms and wondered how she had suspected him of anything wicked.
9. If Janice has not really found anything on Stephen, it is probably because there is not much to tell.
10. I do not understand how telling us what the case is about, who the litigants are and who the attorney is can jeopardize anything.
11. Sam guessed no male juror would even bother listening to his sister’s testimony as she did not have anything important to add according to a man’s perspective.
12. She said the town was too far away to build anything in there, and it snows most part of the year.
13. By the way, you do not have anything to worry about when it comes to prom.
14. The sweaters were the most bright and beautiful shades of autumn, and they were softer than anything she had ever felt in her entire life.
15. He searched everywhere to make sure he had not missed anything that might lead him to the identity of Mr. Kennedy’s killer, but he could not really find any clue.
16.  She is so adorable that anytime somebody gives her anything, she points to the present, then to herself, and nods her head with joy.
17. From the time we talked for the first time until we had our first dance, I can say that I would not change anything.
18. It was unreasonable to believe that two people could spend their entire lives together and never have a disagreement about anything.
19. Jackson’s mood swings were so strong and quick that it was difficult to predict how he would feel or react to anything.
20. What is the purpose of telling you to do something if you are never going to do anything I ask you to?

Final Thoughts

After taking a look at all the info above, we hope we have clarified all the things necessary so you can know how to use the word “anything”. But to condense everything we have said in just a few words:

The word “anything” should be written separately when the part “things” is in its plural form, so the term “anythings” is a misspelling of “any things”, and in addition, the latest is not used that often.

The word “anything” is a little versatile; it can be used as a pronoun, noun, and adverb. “Anything” came from the Old English expression “aniþing”, which came from the even earlier “ǣniġ þing” is literally translated to “any thing”.

We hope this has helped you to clear things up.