Next time is the correct spelling. “Nextime” is not a real word in standard English — it’s simply “next time” written without the space, and dictionaries, style guides, and grammar checkers all treat it as an error. If you’ve typed “nextime” in a text or email, the fix is easy: just add a space.
This mix-up shows up constantly in casual writing, texting, and social media, where people run words together for speed. But in anything you want to look polished — a resume, an email to a client, a school paper — “next time” needs that space.
The Short Answer
“Next time” is always two separate words. There is no compound form, no hyphenated version, and no accepted single-word spelling. Every major dictionary, including Merriam-Webster and Oxford, lists “next” and “time” as separate entries, and the phrase “next time” is simply those two words used together.
Compare this to phrases that genuinely do exist as one word, like “sometime” or “anytime.” Those went through a real linguistic shift over decades of use. “Next time” hasn’t, and there’s no sign it will.
Why People Get It Wrong
A few reasons explain why “nextime” keeps popping up:
- Autocorrect habits from similar words. Because “sometime,” “anytime,” and “anywhere” are single words, people assume “next time” follows the same pattern.
- Speech blending. When you say “next time” quickly, the “t” sounds blur together, making it feel like one word.
- Fast typing. On phones especially, it’s easy to drop the space between two short, closely related words.
None of these reasons make “nextime” acceptable in formal writing. It’s a spelling slip, not an alternate form.
Examples in a Sentence
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|
| Let’s grab coffee next time you’re in town. | Let’s grab coffee nextime you’re in town. |
| Next time, remember to lock the door. | Nextime, remember to lock the door. |
| I’ll bring the documents next time we meet. | I’ll bring the documents nextime we meet. |
How Next Time Functions Grammatically
“Next time” usually works as an adverbial phrase, telling you when something will happen. It can open a sentence (“Next time, call ahead”) or sit inside one (“I’ll be more careful next time”). Occasionally it acts more like a conjunction, meaning “the next time that” — as in “Next time you visit, bring your dog.” In every case, the two-word spelling holds.
A Quick Word on Related Phrases
If you’re double-checking spelling, it helps to know the neighbors:
- This time — always two words, same pattern as “next time.”
- Last time — also two words.
- Sometime vs. some time — these are genuinely different; “sometime” means “at an unspecified point,” while “some time” means “a period of time.” Neither maps onto “next time,” which has no closed-compound version at all.
Key Takeaways
- “Next time” is always spelled as two words — “nextime” is not standard English.
- The error often comes from confusing it with real single-word terms like “sometime” or “anytime.”
- “Next time” typically functions as an adverbial phrase describing when something will happen.
- Spellcheckers and dictionaries will flag “nextime” as incorrect, so trust that red squiggly line.
- When in doubt, say the phrase slowly — you’ll hear the two distinct words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “nextime” ever correct?
No. “Nextime” is not a recognized word in any standard English dictionary. It’s a common misspelling of “next time” and should be avoided in all writing, formal or casual.
Why do some words like “sometime” get combined but not “next time”?
Words like “sometime” became single words through long-term, widespread usage that dictionaries eventually recognized. “Next time” never underwent that shift, so it stays two words.
Is “next time” one word in British English?
No. British and American English agree on this one — “next time” is two words in both varieties.
Can I hyphenate it as “next-time”?
Only in rare cases where it functions as a compound adjective before a noun, such as “a next-time reminder,” though this usage is uncommon and often better rephrased. As a standalone phrase describing when something happens, it should never be hyphenated.
What’s a simple way to remember the correct spelling?
Think of it like “last time” or “this time” — you’d never write those as one word, and “next time” follows the exact same rule.
Getting this right takes about two seconds of extra thought, but it’s the kind of small detail that keeps your writing looking sharp. If spelling mix-ups like this one trip you up often, it’s worth browsing a few more entries on the site to iron out the next slip before it happens.
