All together or altogether?

It would be easy to imagine that these words represent an evolution: two words becoming one. In fact, they have distinct meanings. Here’s how to keep each in its place.

Altogether can mean entirely, utterly or completely; on the whole; or with everything included:
That’s a different point altogether.
Altogether the meeting was a success.
You owe £500 altogether.

All together means in or as a group (a physical or conceptual one), collectively; or in one place:
Let’s sing our office theme song: all together now!
Once everyone’s ideas were in, we were able to bring it all together.
We’re all together in this.

A good way to test which version you want is to see if you can put another word (or words) between the all and the together.

Are we altogether convinced we’re all in this together?

Now that’s clear, take a moment to enjoy what, surely, is the best example of people altogether confused over which is which.

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Author: Catie Holdridge

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Catie joined Emphasis with an English literature and creative writing degree and a keen interest in what makes language work. Having researched, written, commissioned and edited dozens of articles for the Emphasis blog, she now knows more about the intricacies of effective professional writing than she ever thought possible.

She produced and co-wrote our online training programme, The Complete Business Writer, and these days oversees all the Emphasis marketing efforts. And she keeps office repartee at a suitably literary level.