Difference between anyone and any one.





Any one vs anyone 

Dictionary definition, 
Any one means any single person or thing out of a group of people or things.


For example:-
I can recommend any one of the books on this site.


Anyone means any person. It's always written as one word.


For example:-
Did anyone see that UFO?


Anyone and Any One
There is often confusion over anyone and any one. 


Anyone
Anyone (one word) is similar to anybody. (Anyone is an indefinite pronoun.)

Try substituting the anyone in these examples with anybody:
• Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)
• Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old. (Franz Kafka)
• I distrust camels, and anyone else who can go a week without a drink. (Joe E Lewis)
Any One
In the term any one, the word one will usually represent a nearby noun. For example:
• Any one of those cakes is delicious.
(Here, the word one represents the noun cake.)
• My father never raised his hand to any one of his children, except in self-defense. (Fred Allen)
(Here, the word one represents the noun child.) 


In the examples above, the word any is an indefinite adjective which modifies the indefinite pronoun one.

Sometimes, the expression any one is an indefinite adjective and the adjective one used to modify a noun. For example: 


• You can't call any one person the devil because no one person has the power to be the devil. (DMX)
(Here, the word one is an adjective modifying the noun person.)
• At any one time, language is a kaleidoscope of styles, genres, and dialects. (David Crystal)
(Here, the word one is an adjective modifying the noun time.)

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