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'Altogether' (one word) means entirely or in total; 'all together' (two words) means everyone in the same place.
Side-by-side comparison
"Altogether" (one word) means "in total", "completely", or "on the whole". It is an adverb that modifies the whole idea.
He was not altogether satisfied with the results, but agreed to move forward.
Altogether, the renovation cost nearly three times the original estimate.
She stopped going to the gym altogether after her injury and switched to swimming instead.
"All together" (two words) means all people or things are in the same place or doing something at the same time. "Sing all together now" = everyone sing at once.
We were all together in the living room when the power went out during the storm.
The whole family was all together for the first time in three years at the reunion.
Now, class, let us read the paragraph all together, everyone on the count of three.
Common mistake
- •Quick test: can you replace it with "entirely" or "in total"? It is "altogether" (one word).
- •Can you replace it with "everyone in the same place"? It is "all together" (two words).
Trick to remember it
- •In "all together" you can move "all": "They were all sitting together".
- •In "altogether" you cannot separate it: "It is altogether wrong" = "It is entirely wrong".
Quick rule
- •"Altogether" (one word) = entirely, in total.
- •"All together" (two words) = everyone in the same place or at the same time.
Did you know?
"In the altogether" is a British English idiom meaning "completely naked". "She posed in the altogether for the portrait" = she posed nude. The phrase is several centuries old and uses the one-word form, proof that "altogether" has its own idiomatic life well beyond its three standard meanings.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I decided to stop eating sugar _____ . Not a single gram.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The whole family was _____ at the table for the first time in years.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
"Already" = by now or sooner than expected; "all ready" = completely prepared or everyone is ready.
"Everyday" (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary or daily; "every day" (two words) means each day.
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy