Nobody vs. No Body
“Nobody” is a lexical pronoun. “No body” is not an alternative spelling of that pronoun; it is the ordinary determiner “no” plus a separate noun “body,” as in a context where a physical body or other independent sense of body is being negated.
Write “nobody” as one word when you mean “no person” or “not anyone.” Write “no body” as two words only when “no” directly determines the independent noun “body.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / context | Use | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| no person / not anyone | nobody | Use the closed pronoun. |
| no physical body or no independent noun “body” in the relevant sense | no body | Use two words because “body” remains a separate noun. |
| uncertain whether you mean a person | test with “no person” | If “no person” preserves the meaning, “nobody” is normally the intended form. |
Quick tests
Decision test
Can you replace the expression with “no person” or “not anyone” without changing the intended meaning?
If yes: Use the pronoun “nobody.”
If no: If “body” is an independent noun being directly negated by “no,” write “no body.”
Caveat: Do not recommend “no body” as a spaced spelling of the pronoun “nobody.” The spaced form requires an independent noun “body.”
Examples
Nobody answered the door.
The sentence means that no person answered.
Investigators found no body at the site.
“No” directly determines the independent noun “body.”
Nobody in the group objected.
The one-word pronoun means no person in the group.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use the closed pronoun.
Fast Test
Use the pronoun “nobody.” If “body” is an independent noun being directly negated by “no,” write “no body.”
Usage Boundary
Do not recommend “no body” as a spaced spelling of the pronoun “nobody.” The spaced form requires an independent noun “body.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- nobody (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Nobody is an indefinite pronoun meaning no person/not anyone, and can also be a noun for an unimportant person.
- No, none and none of (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge grammar treats no as a determiner used directly before nouns, supporting no body as an ordinary determiner-plus-noun sequence when body itself is the noun being negated.