In short, “somebody’s” is the standard correct form for possession or contraction; “somebodies” is not standard English and should generally be avoided in favor of “some people” or “several individuals.”
The Core Distinction
“Somebody’s” always includes an apostrophe and functions as either a possessive (“somebody’s phone”) or a contraction (“somebody’s calling”). “Somebodies” attempts to pluralize an indefinite pronoun, which English grammar doesn’t support.
Real Examples of Correct Usage
“Is this somebody’s umbrella?” (possession) and “Somebody’s knocking” (contraction of “somebody is”) are both textbook-correct uses of “somebody’s.”
Avoiding the Mistake
If you find yourself wanting to write “somebodies,” pause and ask whether you actually mean “some people” — that substitution almost always fixes the sentence cleanly.
A Note on Informal Usage
The only common exception is the informal idiom “they think they’re somebodies,” meaning people who consider themselves important — a fixed expression, not a general plural rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can “somebodies” ever be used in formal writing? No — for formal writing, always use “somebody’s” or “some people” depending on the intended meaning.
Is there an apostrophe in “somebodies”? No — and that’s part of the confusion; “somebodies” without an apostrophe looks like an attempted plural, not a possessive.
