Alright vs All Right | Meaning, Difference & Examples

Commonly Confused Words updated on  November 21, 2023 2 min read
“Alright” and “all right” are two spellings of the same word, which means “okay” or “good enough,” depending on the context. It can be used as an adjective, adverb, or interjection.

  • Alright is a more informal version of “all right.” It’s considered correct in everyday speech, but not all dictionaries or other language authorities accept this spelling.
  • All right is the more commonly accepted spelling, but it’s still not considered an appropriate term for academic writing or professional communication.

Examples: Alright or all right in a sentence
The food in the restaurant was all right.
Alright, alright, I’ll tell you everything!
I hope she’s feeling all right after getting injured during the hike.

Allright (with double “l” and no space”) is a common misspelling of the word and is never considered correct.

How to use alright and all right

Alright and all right can be used in various contexts. The meaning differs slightly depending on its grammatical role (part of speech) and the context.

Part of speech

Usage or meaning

Example

Adjective

Used to describe someone’s physical health and safety or emotional state

Is Dean alright/all right now that the divorce is final?

Used to indicate mild approval

This tea is alright/all right, but it’s not great.

Used to indicate agreement

Susie can come over if that’s alright/all right with her parents.

Adverb

Used to mean “certainly”

That’s a jellyfish, alright/all right! Don’t step on it!

Used to mean “adequately”

I think the job interview went alright/all right.

Interjection

Used to resume a conversation or discussion

Alright/all right, what were we talking about?

Used to indicate resignation or agreement

Well, alright/all right, if you’re sure.

Do you want to know more about common mistakes, commonly confused words, or other language topics? Check out some of our other language articles full of examples and quizzes.


Common mistakes

Commonly confused words

Rhetoric

Whoa or woah

Advisor vs adviser

Metonymy

Theirs or their's

Accept vs except

Synecdoche

Ours or our's

Affect vs effect

Verbal irony

Forty or fourty

Among vs between

Irony

Sence or sense

Anymore vs any more

Grawlix


Frequently asked questions about alright vs all right

Is it are you alright or all right?

Alright and all right are both correct spelling variants of the same word. You can use “are you alright” or “are you all right.” The latter is accepted by more dictionaries and is considered less informal.

Is it doing all right or alright?

Alright and all right are both correct spelling variants of the same word. You can use “doing all right” or “doing alright.” The former is accepted by more dictionaries and is considered less informal.

Is it everything is alright or all right?

Alright and all right are both correct spelling variants of the same word. You can use “everything is alright” or “everything is all right.” The latter is accepted by more dictionaries and is considered less informal.

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Julia Merkus

Julia has master's degrees in Linguistics and Language and speech pathology. Her expertise lies in grammar, language and speech disorders, foreign language learning, and child language acquisition.

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