We’ve all heard people bark the phrase, “Alright, already!” It means: Stop being annoying. Most annoying to grammarians, however, is the common misuse of the three “al” siblings: alright, already and altogether.
What is all right? And what is all wrong?
Let’s start with alright. Contrary to what your spellcheck may tell you, the word “alright” does not exist in Standard English. If you want to use it (as I’m about to), alright. But be aware that it is an alternative, and technically incorrect, spelling of the phrase “all right.”
The phrase “all right” has multiple meanings. If something is agreeable or acceptable to you, you could say, “It’s all right with me.” You could feel all right (healthy) or do an all-right job (mediocre). And if you wanted to emphasize a point, you might use the phrase this way: “It’s pouring, all right.”
Unlike the alright/all right duo, all together and altogether are both Standard English. But they’re not synonymous. Altogether is an adverb meaning utterly or completely. “It’s altogether shocking that anyone would use alright.” All together, on the other hand, is a phrase meaning “in a group.”
The third “al” words — already and all ready — are distinctly different from each other. Already is an adverb meaning “earlier than the expected time” or “before now.” For example, if you persisted in using alright, I might say: “I already told you that alright is not OK.”
In contrast, the phrase “all ready” means, simply, “totally ready.” So, having read this column, are you now all ready for your grammar quiz?
Neil Chethik, aka the Grammar Gourmet, is executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning (www.carnegiecenterlex.org) and author of “FatherLoss” and “VoiceMale.” The Carnegie Center offers writing classes and seminars for businesses and individuals. Contact Chethik at neil@carnegie centerlex.org or 859-254-4175.