Alright vs. all right – which one is correct?
Alright or all right – which one is accepted as a correct spelling? Are alright and all right interchangeable? Is it all right to use alright in standard English? After reading this text, you will never mix up alright and all right again!
Alright vs. all right – which form is correct?
Today, both alright and all right are acceptable in dictionaries. One-word spelling was first used in the 19th century. According to the Oxford Dictionary, there’s no logical reason for using two words instead of a single-word form, taking into account that we use other single-word forms such as already or altogether on a daily basis. The form alright is commonly used in informal writing.
Alright vs. all right – what’s the meaning of these words?
Alright and all right have almost identical meanings in the English language. Alright is an informal way of all right, which has many meanings, such as:
Alright vs. all right – what’s the meaning of these words?
- safe – “Are you all right?”,
- good – “That book is all right.” (we can understand all right as not great, not terrible),
- yes (affirmative statement) – “All right. I’ll do it for you.”,
- satisfactorily – “Her work is coming along all right.”.
Be careful! Sometimes, alright can alter the meaning of a sentence.
Mark’s answers on the maths quiz were all right means that answers were all correct. With the word alright, we might understand that answers were fine, but could have been better.
What’s the difference between alright and all right?
Although both forms are technically correct, it is safer to use two separate words, especially in formal writing. Alright is a shorter and more modern spelling which is becoming more and more popular when it comes to informal purposes. Using it in professional or academic writing is not a good idea. Two-word version appears in the media and is favoured by many writers.
Alright vs. all right – what are other forms of these words?
- as adjective: acceptable, satisfactory, good enough, fine, OK,
- as adverb: satisfactorily, well enough, adequately,
- as exclamation: agreed, right, good.
Alright vs. all right – it’s all clear! Examples in sentences
“Listen, Caulfield. If you want to sit here and have a quiet, peaceful drink and a quiet, peaceful conver”
“All right, all right,” I said.
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
“Are you all right?” he said as the goblin stirred, but Griphook merely whimpered.
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Will it be alright, reader, if I choose just the good ones?
Daniel Nayeri, Everything Sad Is Untrue
