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Alright or all right?

Tiny NellTiny Nell
edited June 2014 in Writing
I've always used alright, but, apparently, that's very 'American' and frowned upon if used by UK writers.

What do you think, folks?
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Comments

  • OnlinegenieOnlinegenie
    Dictionaries and text books tend to insist on all right.
  • heatherheather
    I prefer all right.
    Alright is a bit slangy.
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    Yes, I've just replaced all.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    I use and prefer all right. I think alright is gradually becoming acceptable, but all right isn't likely to be considered incorrect and alright might be.
  • DeneBebboDeneBebbo
    I would use "alright" if it refers to a person, especially in dialogue, and "all right" otherwise - I don't know why, it just feels right. For example:

    Thanks for asking, I'm doing alright.
    The house was all right when we returned from holiday.

    Here's a good summary of usage:

    http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/all-right-or-alright

    As it points out, there's no logical reason not to use alright.
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    Thanks, Dene. That was one of the articles I had read, but I think I am now tending towards all right.
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    Couple of style guides I use want all right, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over alright - especially per DeneBebbo's examples. The context will usually dictate the choice.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    If I'm writing to a tight word count the option to use 'alright' comes in dead handy.

    p.s. my 'alright' in this post has been underlined in red - so my computer thinks it's wrong. :-?
  • Tristram_ShandyTristram_Shandy
    Glad I read this. I usually type "alright" (I'm sure Terry Pratchett uses "alright", but I could be thinking of someone else). But likewise I never worry about it.
  • LizyLizy
    Odd to come across this thread just after I altered All right to alright on a FB post!
    Another one that throws me is for ever - Word want me to type forever.
    Not literally, of course.
    :)
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    And why the heck not?!
  • MutleyMutley
    Regrettably alright has entered accepted usage. Sad, but it is unlikely you will be pulled up on it.
  • SeaviewSeaview
    Strangely enough, I don't remember ever having written 'all right', but I'm certain I've written 'it's alright' in the past.
  • LizyLizy
    And why the heck not?!
    8->

    R.S.I.
  • Lou TreleavenLou Treleaven
    I hate alright, but it seems to have seeped in.

    *squirts round some Dr Truss Slang-Be-Gone*
  • LizyLizy
    Sure you don't mean Dr Truss Sling-Be-Gone?
  • OnlinegenieOnlinegenie
    Your suggestion has my full support Lizy.
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    When I was a small child, I always thought the word was 'orite'.
  • kadokado
    I always use 'all right'.
  • Tristram_ShandyTristram_Shandy
    To be honest I started using "okay" so there's no confusion ;)
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    :)

    Not ok or OK?
  • Stan2Stan2
    I like alright even if it isn't all right!
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    I'm a convert to OK and all right.

    It will change my life, I hope.
  • Tristram_ShandyTristram_Shandy
    Sometimes OK, but never ok ;)
  • LizLiz
    I don't like alright, because of the meaning when you are asking someone if they are 'all right'... it sorts of takes away the care aspect in my brain!
  • WebboWebbo
    I must admit feeling no shudders at "alright", but also finding it hard to think of a sentence when I would be using it in a formal way. Things being "all right" conveys something different to me too. (alright=okay; all right= fully correct). The example of the house being all right makes me think of it in terms of construction, ie "all true", right angles, not fallen over while we were away, but maybe that's me being too literal with it.
    And FWIW, my money's on "okay" over "OK" and definitely over "ok"!
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    *cheers*
  • LizLiz
    My brother having read 'OK' in Biggles, but never having heard of the word in real life, though it was said : 'OCK'.
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    There's one word I've heard but have never seen written down so have no idea if it's one or two words or how it's spelt.
    Here's my version: high faluting.
    What is the spelling? I've never found it in the dictionary.
  • LizLiz
    Highfalutin or highfaluting. It means affected or pompous, and it is in Chambers and i suspect the OED. Under 'high'.
  • BetsieBetsie
    I prefer all right despite alright having come into common usage. I suspect it's a cockup that's become accepted over time, but my grammar book says "it is not all right to say alright" so I stick with all right.
  • kadokado
    How long will it be when "could of" is acceptable? Never I hope.
  • LizLiz
    Never, because it doesn't make grammatical sense.
  • kadokado
    Exactly!
  • DeneBebboDeneBebbo
    I prefer all right despite alright having come into common usage. I suspect it's a cockup that's become accepted over time, but my grammar book says "it is not all right to say alright" so I stick with all right.
    That sounds arbitrary, like many aspects of usage. If altogether and already are acceptable then alright is more consistent than all right.

  • BetsieBetsie
    edited June 2014
    I would argue about together and altogether - there is a very subtle difference in meaning - have to be a pedant on this one.

    Oh gosh - I feel a rant coming on. All the time I see effect and affect used incorrectly - also practise (verb) and practice (noun) used wrongly. And the very worst one (I see it on this site) your instead of you're.

    Where's it all going to end? This is a writers' website, the least we can do is use our own language correctly.
  • DeneBebboDeneBebbo
    I would argue about together and altogether - there is a very subtle difference in meaning - have to be a pedant on this one.

    Oh gosh - I feel a rant coming on. All the time I see effect and affect used incorrectly - also practise (verb) and practice (noun) used wrongly. And the very worst one (I see it on this site) your instead of you're.

    Where's it all going to end? This is a writers' website, the least we can do is use our own language correctly.
    I think that on forums people often write messages quickly and don't always have time to make sure their usage is correct. As for the practice/practise (and licence/license) difference, I find it difficult to remember which is the right one.
  • Lou TreleavenLou Treleaven
    As for the practice/practise (and licence/license) difference, I find it difficult to remember which is the right one.
    I remember it by the words advice and advise. Advice is the noun and advise the verb, so that helps me remember that practice is the noun and practise the verb.

  • DwightDwight
    I remember them by thinking that writing an s rather than a c is more energetic, so that suggests a verb.
  • LizyLizy
    StaionEry for papEr, stanionAry for cAr.

    i wonder if they teach children these useful little aides memoire nowadays?
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    I always suggest E for envelopes.
  • LizyLizy
    ?
    Is there another way to spell it?
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    To remember stationEry.
  • LizyLizy
    Ah :)
  • OnlinegenieOnlinegenie
    I remember that a stationEr sells stationEry. If they sold stationary they would be a stationAr.
  • Stan2Stan2
    Oh!
  • LizyLizy
    I remember that a stationEr sells stationEry. If they sold stationary they would be a stationAr.
    But .. but .. unless you know the difference between the E word and the A word, you can't link the two Es and the two As. Hence papEr and cAr.

  • CarolCarol
    edited June 2014
    Stationery with an 'e' means envelopes, while stationary with an 'a' means not moving...works for me.
  • Stan2Stan2
    And me too. Hello Carol. Are you all right or alright?
  • OnlinegenieOnlinegenie
    I remember that a stationEr sells stationEry. If they sold stationary they would be a stationAr.
    But .. but .. unless you know the difference between the E word and the A word, you can't link the two Es and the two As. Hence papEr and cAr.

    I can, because I would pronounce stationar differently from stationer. Stationar would rhyme with car (at least it would if I said it).

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