You’ve definitely heard people use the word anyplace (or is it the phrase any place?) in sentences to describe a location. It offers a nondescript way to provide a suggestion or create a lighthearted response in writing and speech, but which way should the word, or words, be used?
We review the differences between anyplace vs. any place so you know how they should look in writing. Understanding the proper use of each is important for formal and informal writing styles, and we define those for you below.
Anyplace or Any Place: What’s the Difference?
Any place and anyplace are pronounced the same, but there is a slight pause between the two-word phrase. Many people find the differences between the two confusing, but the following rules should help you keep them straight.
Any place is the proper, formal phrase that is in most forms of writing that are not between known acquaintances. Any is an adjective used to modify the word place, which is a noun. It is used to define a non-specific location.
Anyplace is an adverb used to describe a single, non-specific place. It also is a non-standard synonym for anywhere. It’s an informal word best not used at all, but when used should be between friends and family and in non-formal writing scenarios.
When to Use Any place
The formal use of the short phrase any place is best for writing scenarios related to work, political discourse, letter writing, memos, publications, or in response to communication from people you don’t know well.
For example:
- Any place the company chooses for the luncheon will be acceptable to meet in.
- I love to travel to any place that offers beautiful views and excellent cuisine.
When to Use Anyplace
Anyplace is an informal and synonymous use of anywhere. It also means a singular, non-specific location and is often incorrectly used in place of any place in formal writing scenarios. When used, replace anyplace with anywhere to be grammatically correct.
For example (replace anyplace with anywhere):
- My dog wanders anyplace in the neighborhood he may get a treat.
- To find a constellation in the sky, look anyplace there are clusters of stars.
The use of anyplace has been more commonly seen recently, even in well-edited materials. This may be due to a general lack of grammar rule knowledge, and a dependency upon online editing software that may not always catch the nuisance of the proper use.
Other Instances of Adjective and Noun Phrase Combinations
There are many other instances of adjective and noun phrase combinations, all of which have a two-word phrase and single-word use. Examples of these include any time, no place, every place, any one, any day, and any more. Their various formal and informal uses are worth learning to ensure you apply them correctly in your communication.
Origins of Any Place any Anyplace
Both any and place are found in documents prior to the mid-8th Century. Any originates from Middle English to mean one. Place originates from the Latin word platea, meaning open space, which became the word place in Middle English, meaning an area.
Tricks to Remember: Is it Anyplace or Any Place?
Anyplace and any place are used to describe a non-specific area. Any place is a legitimate phrase, but anyplace is often used incorrectly to replace the two-word phrase. When you want to use anyplace as an adverb, use anywhere instead as it is more appropriate grammatically.
If you find yourself struggling with using anyplace, it truly is best not to use it. Either use any place or anywhere to be consistent and concise in your writing.
Anyplace and Any Place Used in Sentences
Anyplace indeed is misused, even in well-published materials. Take a look at the following examples and ask yourself if replacing anyplace wouldn’t have been better served by replacing it with anywhere:
California is home to people of more racial and ethnic backgrounds than anyplace else in the Western Hemisphere … [San Diego]
But she’d been in Washington longer than anyplace else, and it was here she’d carried on a 10-year relationship that had also hit the skids. [Washington Post]
The cost of living in San Francisco is less than in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Honolulu but more than anyplace else in the country. [Wall Street Journal]
Anyplace is also misused when any place would be more grammatically correct. In this example, anyplace should be replaced with any place:
The workplace, like anyplace you bring a bunch of people together, is a mixture of many different personalities.
Any place is the proper use of describing a non-specific location in writing. These examples highlight their correct use in various publications:
The latest international news, investigations and analysis from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Canada, … Does poetry have any place in a war zone? [New York Times]
We recover phones from all over, pawn shop, Craigslist, any place they’re listed electronically, and yes, we have recovered a bunch of them. [News 9]
Let’s Review
Any place is a phrase made up of an adjective and a noun. It is the correct and formal way to explain an indeterminate location in writing. Anyplace is technically an incorrect way of using any place or a synonym of anywhere when used as an adverb.
It truly is best to use the phrase any place when in doubt, or if you find yourself wanting to use it as an adverb, use anywhere instead.