Everyone vs Every One | Difference & Examples

Everyone does not mean the same as every one. They are often confused because they contain the same words, which are pronounced in the same way but stressed differently.

  • Everyone (written as one word) means “everybody.” It is an indefinite pronoun.
  • Every one (written as two words) combines with “of” to mean “all of.”
Examples: Everyone in a sentence Examples: Every one in a sentence
Everyone has to take language courses in their freshman year.

Did everyone attend the meeting?

Every one of her books has been a bestseller.

The presents were great; she loved every one of them.

The stress falls on the first syllable when pronouncing the word everyone: ev-ry-one (i.e., “one” is not stressed).

But because every one is two separate words, there is some stress on both words: ev-ry one.

Everyone definition

Everyone is classified as an indefinite pronoun and means “everybody.” It refers to people rather than things and goes with the singular form of the verb. The plural verb form is not used.

Examples: Correct verb form with everyone
  • Everyone is coming to the party.
  • Everyone are coming to the party.
  • The problem is that everyone has very different views on the matter.
  • The problem is that everyone have very different views on the matter.

Every one definition

Every one is used with the preposition “of” to mean “all of.”

Example: Every one with the preposition of
She ate every one of the biscuits.

Nouns or pronouns that come after every one of are plural, but the verb is always singular. We don’t use the plural form of the verb.

Example: Every one of with a noun or pronoun
  • Every one of the songs is fantastic.
  • Every one of the songs are fantastic.
  • I love the songs on this album; every one of them is fantastic.
  • I love the songs on this album; every one of them are fantastic.

We can leave out “of” and the noun or pronoun where the context makes the meaning clear.

Example: Every one without of and the noun/pronoun
I love the songs on this album; every one is fantastic.
Tip
To help you decide if everyone or every one is correct, substitute “each” for “every” in your sentence.

  • If your sentence still makes sense, every one is correct.
  • If your sentence doesn’t make sense, then everyone could be the correct choice.

If you’re using everyone directly before “of,” you probably need to use every one instead.

  • Every one of the songs is fantastic.
  • Everyone of the songs is fantastic.

Frequently asked questions about everyone vs every one

Is it each and every one or everyone?

In the phrase “each and every one,” “every one” is written as two separate words (e.g., “Each and every one of the songs on the album is fantastic”).

Everyone” and “every one” are commonly confused, but they do not have the same grammatical function and cannot be used interchangeably.

What is a synonym for everyone?

Some synonyms and near synonyms for everyone include:

  • Everybody (e.g., “Everybody is coming to the party”)
  • Anyone (e.g., “Anyone would do the same as you in that situation”)
  • People (e.g., “People are the same the world over”)

QuillBot’s paragraph rewriter can help you find synonyms for words like “everyone.”

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Tom Challenger, BA

Tom holds a teaching diploma and is an experienced English language teacher, teacher trainer, and translator. He has taught university courses and worked as a teacher trainer on Cambridge CELTA courses.