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We writers often have to contend with compound words that begin their life as two words only to eventually morph into one. “Backyard” is a good example. It originally was two words, “back yard,” used to describe the area behind a house. Sometime in the mid-1600s, it successfully made the transition to a single compound word.
Then there are other compounds that are in limbo, somewhere in the midst of the transition from two words to one. Consider “health care,” a topic on everyone’s mind these days. If you Google it, you’ll get about 63 million returns for the two-word compound but a whopping 129 million for the single word “healthcare.” That’s a good indicator that the single word will soon be standard. However, most style manuals still mandate the two-word version.
To complicate matters even further, we have words with separate meanings as a single-word compound or as two individual words. “Anyway” and “any way” are two that often perplex writers. These are entirely different terms that do indeed have distinct meanings.
“Anyway” is an adverb, and it means regardless or in any event:
Marshall’s grades have slipped, but he plans to apply to Harvard anyway.
“Any way” is a paired adjective and noun meaning any particular course, direction, or manner:
Chloe is willing to help Marshall prepare for the SAT in any way she can.
Then we have “anyways,” a colloquial corruption of “anyway.” It’s universally considered nonstandard and should be avoided altogether. It might help to remember that “anyway” is an adverb, and adverbs can’t be plural.
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31 Responses to “Anyway, Any Way, or Anyways?”
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Actually, would use backyard as an adjective (backyard barbecue), and back yard as a place (the barbecue in the back yard).
And I’ve been accused of being a very early adopter of compound closures.
Anyways reminds me of a line from Eddie Murphy’s _Pluto Nash_, “Have you been bitching to my Moms?” That movie has it all, the love story, the gansters, the action – and as cheesy as it gets, with light-hearted comedy and freeze-dried chihuahua ready to be popped in the neutron oven.
I think of “anyways” as an emphasized-by-repetition form of anyway. That is, replace “Anyway, anyhow, anywhere, anytime, anywho” or “Anyway, any way, any way at all” with “anyways”. See? Multiple anyways for emphasis.
Thank for the post! I was just wondering, recently, why I hear so many folks say “anyways” – I hate that. I think it’s in the same category as saying “alls” I know, “alls” you have to do… ugh.
I hate ‘anyways’ too!
Glancing through my Chambers dictionary, I chanced upon “nowise”. It referenced the second meaning of no.
Noway, noways, or nowise [adv]; in no way, manner, or degree.
Anywhere is listed, buy anywheres is considered a North American dialect word. Anyways is considered a US dialect word.
I figure dialect and jargon are two faces of the same coin. They are useful in informed context, but not polite for public usage.
Who doesn’t hate “anyways” except ppl who use it….
Someone should start a site where one can go to point out the use of words such as anyways being used in tv or movies or magazines and etc . Then the site would notify the offender to stop using it. This one makes me cringe!
When I heard “anyways” for the first time, I thought the speaker was wrong. When I heard more and more people say “anyways”, I started questioning myself that maybe I was wrong, since my native language is not English. So I googled, and here I am,
. Don’t understand why they have to add that “s”…
Isn’t “Us writers” the correct form? Just asking.
Scott: Because the phrase “We writers” is in the subjective form, it is correct. If the phrase had been in the objective form, say, as the object of a preposition, “us writers” would then be correct. (Ex: Compound words are difficult for us writers.) One easy way to determine the proper pronoun is to drop its accompanying noun and then say the sentence. “Us often have to contend with . . .” is clearly incorrect, so that should tip you off that the subjective “We” is the right choice.
I have had exactly the same experience as Alisha! First, I thought the few colleagues that used “anyways” were incorrect, and I laughed privately. Then, when I heard some politician or interviewer on tv use it, I thought maybe I was wrong afterall. I am so happy to know that my mother did teach me correctly! I think “anyways” sounds like some fourteen-year-old valley girl.
so speaking of “anyways” is wrong?
my friend says “anyways” in everything and i laugh on it but never told her that its wrong to speak “anyways” coz i think it wud be her insult
tho i laugh at her privately
Anyways feels the same as nonetheless. I am sure that word and other one-upon-a-time colloquialisms ticked people off, too, but english is a living language subject to change and it changes based upon thsoe speaking it, and amoung those speaking it, a very small percent is made up of grammarians. It, along with ‘alot’ and a buncha’ other words are likely to be incorporated into accepted english words in the near future. I don’t mind it because of that. Although, alot bothers me a lot XD
“..adverbs can’t be plural.”
“always” is an adverb and it’s plural
“Always” is not plural. It’s an adverb without number that means “at all times.” Simply because a word ends in “s” does not mean it’s a plural–think about words like hostess, Kansas, species, and politics (although politics is plural in form, its meaning is singular).
i told ppl tht speaking of anyways is incorrect…but they dont listen me..and say u dnt know anything…….but ima always ryt!
Whenever I hear “anyways,” it makes me think of moronic cheerleaders who have never had an intelligent conversation in their life. -_- It annoys me to no end..
People are becoming lazy or stupid. I hate when people say “Anyways”. If fact, here are a few more words/phrases I hate:
Alls (‘Alls you have to do…’)
These ones (‘These ones right here….’)
Yous (‘All yous have to do…’)
I could care less….
Calm, cool and collective…
For all intensive purpose…
I would go on and on, but I don’t want to give you the impression that I’m angry!!!
Typo…. ‘In fact’
i tell ppl to speak anyway instead anyways..but they dont!! huh!! whats wrong with them…i even told them reason..eurgh!!! i just hate them all!!
My husband often says “anyways” and I hate it! He thinks I’m wrong and hypercritical. Today I told him that I’ve noticed that most people say it, so I decided to research it. I was happy to report to him that it is incorrect and it makes him sound like a hick that was raised in a barn. His mother was an English major in college, perhaps he would listen if she corrected him. We grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I wonder if moving to Texas has had something to do with it?
English is not my first language. Maybe that’s why I like “anyways”. Its sounding suggests some unexplainable meaning to me. Far more richer then just “anyway”. It could mean double or triple “anyway”. “I have done it with the greatest determination possible. Against all odds. The word “anyway” is so weak to describe that, so unfortunately I have to use anyways.” Every language is a living thing. People are using the word. You can say it’s wrong, but it’s still there. And it sounds nice. So, anyway or anyways. Not a big deal. To me at least. Or anyways.
“Anyway” means no matter what, “anyways” means with full determination….
is that correct?
Jonathan, don’t those two definitions essentially mean the same thing? There should never be an “s” attached to the word “anyway.”
In writing I tend to use “anyway”, but if I’m speaking in a formal setting I try to avoid using the word “anyway” because it’s not very professional.
If I speak I usually say “anyways”, because I only speak it in informal settings. And I find among those I’m familiar with I prefer to use slang. Most people use some sort of slang around those they’re close with. It acknowledges some sort of bond, for me at least.
The word is, ANYWAY…period. When people say “anyways”, it makes them sound uneducated.
Here’s are some other slaughtered words:
Tooken…”I’ve tooken my children to see the movie”. Should be TAKEN.
Exspecially…”I love chocolate, exspecially on ice cream”. Should be ESPECIALLY.
Expresso…”I drink expresso every morning”. Should be ESPRESSO.
Irregardless…”You bought the purse, irregardless of the high price”. Should be REGARDLESS.
I now know “anyways” is incorrect, but it sounds so much nicer. I am very educated, and I lived at a college for the last four years. I interacted with faculty and fellow students on a daily basis. Still, I heared “anyways” quite often. The only person who ever corrected me on it was my mother, but she grew up in Jamaica, where the people speak a dialect of British English. I always assumed she said “anyway” for the same reason she said “aluMINium”.
I hate when people say “anyways” as well. Has anyone noticed that Adam Sandler says it a billion times in all of his movies?
Mayor Bloomberg (NYC) always says “Anyways” it drives me crazy!
Others are:
Don’t ya: Don’t ya want to go to the movies?
Yer instead of your, Yer sister is lovely.
I could care less – drives me bonkers.
ax instead of ask
Breastis instead of breasts.
Off topic, but using the word female (for a human being) instead of woman. This is not incorrect, but it pulls out all my feathers.
My teacher is a female. Instead of, my teacher is a woman. Just a pet peeve of mine.
Jonathan: this is what it says if you Google “anyways definition”:
US and Canadian a nonstandard word for anyway
I hate it!!!