What Is The Difference Between “Anyway,” “Anyways,” And “Any Way”? Which word is it, anyway? Anyway is a common adverb used to mean “in any case,” while any way is an adjective-noun pair that means “whichever path” or “in any manner.”
Anyways is the very informal form of anyway. It never appears in formal writing, and its only real use is to simulate the spoken word in lines of dialogue.
Anyway
Anyway, used as an adverb, suggests a disregard for factors that stand in the way of an argument or purpose. For example, “I felt tired, but decided to go to the party anyway.” Here, it’s clear that anyway appears in place of regardless or despite what came before.
Another example: It was snowing hard, but we drove to the play anyway.
Any way
Any way (two words) has a subtly different meaning.
It means regardless of the path chosen or however possible. For example, if you were to say “I’d be happy to help you in any way I can,” it would mean you were offering to help someone however it was possible to do so. Conversely, “You can go any way you want,” means that a variety of physical paths are available for you to choose from.
Another example: Finish the job any way you choose. Fun tip: If the words in the can be substituted for any, the two-word phrase is called for: Finish the job in the way you choose.
If that substitution cannot be made, the spelling is anyway.
Anyways
The most common use of anyways is in informal dialogue. You may see this version of the word on social media or within casual conversations or texts. It’s becoming pretty popular though because online writing is increasing, so you’ll probably see it pop up more often than not.