Altogether or All Together?

by Craig Shrives

What Is the Difference between "Altogether" and "All together"?

The Quick Answer

Altogether

(adverb) "completely," "wholly," or "with everything considered"
  • I am not altogether sure. correct tick
  • That will be 11 dollars altogether. Cash or card? correct tick

All Together

(adverb) "collectively"
  • Wait here all together at 11 o'clock. correct tick
  • When I blow the whistle, all jump together. correct tick
    • (Note that there can be words between "all" and "together.")
altogether or all together difference
"Altogether" and "all together" are easy to confuse because they sound identical and their meanings are similar. "Altogether" means wholly or with everything considered. "All together" means "collectively." For example:
  • The pens are 5 Euros. The paper is 3 Euros. That is 8 Euros altogether. correct tick
  • You must stand all together in the stadium. correct tick
    • (Note that the words "all" and "together" can have other words between. "You must all stand together in the stadium." correct tick)

More about "Altogether" and "All Together"

The confusion over "altogether" and "all together" is understandable because the terms are so close in meaning.

Altogether

The adverb "altogether" means wholly, to the full extent, or with everything considered.

Examples of "altogether" in sentences:
  • I left him altogether convinced that the project will end on time. correct tick
  • Altogether, Mark earns more than his cousin. correct tick

All Together

The term "all together" describes when a group acts or is acted upon collectively. (Of note, there can be other words between "all" and "together.")

Examples of "all together" in sentences:
  • I want you to sing all together. correct tick
    • (I want you all to sing together.)
  • The soldiers stood all together waiting for the plane. correct tick
    • (The soldiers all stood together waiting for the plane.)
  • I would like to see you all together. correct tick
    • (I would like to see all of you together.)

Top Tip

If you can restructure your sentence to put word(s) between "all" and "together," then you need "all together" not "altogether."

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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? any more or anymore poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? How to write "dos and don'ts" who's or whose? What are adverbs? List of easily confused words