All Right vs. Alright | Difference & Example Sentences
All right and alright are two spellings of the same term, an adjective, adverb, or interjection meaning the same thing as “okay.”
- All right (with a space) is the form usually used in published writing.
- Alright is a very common spelling in everyday communication, but it’s not always considered correct by dictionaries (though it is included in Merriam-Webster and the OED). It’s uncommon in published writing.
It’s the flu all right!
College is going alright so far.
Table of contents
Uses of all right and alright
Both spellings of all right/alright are very common in day-to-day communication. They can both function as several different parts of speech with slight variations in meaning.
| Part of speech | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | Used to indicate agreement, physical safety or health, and general (mild) approval. | I’d like to go to the mall after school if that’s all right/alright with you.
Are you all right/alright? His artwork is all right/alright, but it’s not my favorite. |
| Adverb | Used to mean “certainly” or “adequately” | That’s a tick bite all right/alright! You’d better get it checked out at the doctor.
I wasn’t very confident going into the exam, but I think it went all right/alright. |
| Interjection | Used to indicate agreement or resignation, or to resume a discussion where it left off | Well, all right/alright, if you insist.
All right/alright, where were we? |
Frequently asked questions
- Is “alright” a word?
-
Yes, alright is a very commonly used word, but it’s considered a mistake by some dictionaries and style guides. The more widely approved form is all right, with a space.
- What’s a synonym of “alright”/“all right”?
-
Some synonyms and near synonyms for the various senses of alright/all right are:
- Acceptable
- Adequate
- Agreed
- Certainly
- Decent
- Fine
- Good
- Okay (or OK)
- Satisfactory
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George, T. (2023, January 23). All Right vs. Alright | Difference & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/commonly-confused-words/all-right-vs-alright/
