One word or two

All together vs. Altogether

Altogether is an adverb that means completely, in total or on the whole. All together is a phrase that means everyone or everything in one group or at the same time. We sang all together; altogether, it was fun.

Word	Part of speech	Meaning
all together	phrase	everyone or everything in one place, or doing something at the same time
altogether	adverb	completely, or as a total amount
altogether	adverb	on the whole; when everything is considered

All together

phrase: everyone or everything in one place, or doing something at the same time

Let's put the camping gear all together in the garage.
The family was all together for the first time in years.

Altogether

adverb: completely, or as a total amount

The new bridge will cost about two million dollars altogether.
By June, Leo had stopped drinking soda altogether.

adverb: on the whole; when everything is considered

The food was cold, but altogether it was a pleasant evening.
Altogether, the trip went better than we expected.

How to remember the difference

If you could say all of us together or all at once, write all together. If you mean totally or in all, write altogether, one word like totally.

Good to know

You can often move the two words apart in all together (we all sat together), which is a sign you need two words. Altogether never splits.

Spot the mistake

Let's sing the chorus ~~altogether~~ all together one more time.
Correct: Let's sing the chorus all together one more time.
I'm not ~~all together~~ altogether sure the plan will work.
Correct: I'm not altogether sure the plan will work.

Check yourself

Pick the word that fits each sentence.

1. The team arrived on one bus.

2. The repairs cost four hundred dollars .