There are many different forms of abbreviation and contraction in the English language, some more clearly and universally defined and accepted than others. The use of the apostrophe to form contractions, for instance, (can’t, shouldn’t, I’d, he’ll, we’d) is widely acknowledged as standard usage, though it may be frowned upon or considered out of place in more formal or academic writing.

The term ‘abbreviation’ is most commonly used to describe a shortened form of a given word which has been accepted into standard usage, and is followed by a period (full stop) to indicate that shortening has taken place. Examples are Mr. and Mrs. or Dr. Note that the replacement of a name or title which is several words long with a word made up of the capitalised first letters of each word, is not an abbreviation but an acronym, such as NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or WHO (the World Health Organization).

However the issue of the abbreviation of two separate words into a single word, often involving the omission of some letters from either or both of the original words in the process, as in the case of ‘alright’, proves to be a much thornier problem. The crux of the issue seems to be that in the case of ‘alright’ there is no standard agreement. Many critics and academics maintain that the word does not exist and betrays poor grammar and an incorrect, informal use of English akin to slang or colloquialisms, which should be avoided in writing at all costs. On the other hand, the word ‘alright’ appears in several prominent and respected English dictionaries (such as Collins and Merriam-Webster) as a recognised variant form of ‘all right’, and appears in such literary classics as James Joyce’s Ulysses.

In this particular case, it seems that in the absence of universal clarification the best answer is to err on the side of caution and stick to ‘all right’, as this will certainly be accepted without risking disapproval from a teacher or examiner. Do bear in mind however, the several varying nuances with which the phrase may be weighted:

1. All correct, as in: ‘Your answers in the mathematics exam were all right.’
2. OK or mediocre, as in: ‘How are you finding University?’ ‘It’s all right.’
3. Unharmed, as in: ‘Are you all right?’
4. Very well, as in: ‘Can I borrow your bicycle this afternoon?’ ‘All right’

TIP: In my editing and marking experience, the fourth instance, when the phrase is used to mean ‘very well’, seems to be the one that most tempts writers to incorrectly use ‘alright’. Being aware of this can help you to avoid making the error in your own writing.

However, amongst these abbreviations involving the amalgamation of two words, ‘alright’ is actually quite unusual in retaining the same meaning in both forms. For in general most of these words (such as all ready/already, all together/altogether etc.) actually take on a subtle but significant change in meaning when abbreviated into one. For this reason ‘alright’ is in fact the exception to the rule in terms of accepted usage, with these other expressions being far more widely accepted and acknowledged as legitimate words within their own right and having their own meaning, and as such, are acceptable and may safely be used in formal and academic writing. In fact this might usefully be seized upon as a sensible rule of thumb for abbreviations of this kind – if the two-word phrase, when abbreviated into a single word, provides a new, alternate meaning, and could be used in a different sentence in which the original two words would not suffice, it is usually safe to assume that the single word form is acceptable.

HOWEVER, the subtle difference in meaning makes it very important to make sure in these cases that you use the correct form for the given context. To help with this, I have listed the most frequently occurring examples of this form of abbreviation below, with a brief explanation of the difference in their meaning and an example to illustrate common situations in which they might be used.

already / all ready

Already indicates that something has happened previously

e.g. They have already arrived

All ready refers to the readiness of a plural noun

e.g. The children are all ready for school

altogether / all together

Altogether indicates a total summing up of factors or of a situation

e.g. There are fifteen sweets altogether

All together indicates togetherness of a plural group

e.g. The family will be all together again at Christmas

anyone / any one

Anyone has the same meaning as ‘anybody’ and is always used in relation to people

e.g. Has anyone seen my hat?

Any one means any single item or thing

e.g. It could happen to any one of you

everyone / every one

The rule is the same as for anyone / any one, above

into / in to

Into is a preposition

e.g. He went into the theatre

In to is actually an adverb followed by a preposition

e.g. Lets go in to eat

maybe / may be

Maybe means the same as perhaps

e.g. Maybe it will rain tomorrow

May be means that something might exist or occur

e.g. The dog may be in his kennel

sometime / some time

Sometime refers to a possible time at which something might occur

e.g. shall we go to a movie sometime?

Some time refers to an undefined period of time

e.g. I wish I had some time to go shopping

APPENDIX: there are also a few cases where the abbreviated form is the most commonly used, but the separated words may be used for greater emphasis

e.g. Wherever is the most commonly accepted form, but for emphasis: “Where ever have you been, George?” she exclaimed

or

“You can not be serious”

NOTE: Although ‘alright’ is the most frequent exception to the rule in having the same meaning in both forms and therefore rendering the combined form redundant, it is not the only instance. Another example of this that I come across fairly regularly is the use of ‘alot’ in place of ‘a lot’, which is not correct and should not be used in any written work, formal or informal.

Recap of key points:

1. Check whether the new word you make by abbreviation has a new meaning
2. If so, it is probably fine to use, but be careful to select the correct form to fit with the meaning of the sentence.
3. Forms and accepted usage change frequently, so if in doubt, check in the dictionary.