They sound almost the same, but one is about a whole and the other is about a group.
- Altogether is one word. It means completely, or in total.
- All together is two words. It means everyone or everything, in the same place or at the same time.
Altogether: completely or in total
Altogether is an adverb. It means "completely" or "taken as a whole".
The school has banned phones altogether.
I am not altogether sure about this.
Altogether, we spent ten dollars.
The last example shows the "in total" meaning: when you add things up.
All together: everyone in one place
All together is two words. It means a group is in the same place, or does something at the same time.
We sat all together at one table.
"All together now!" shouted the teacher.
The books were stacked all together on the shelf.
Easy way to tell them apart
Try swapping in all here (or all in one place).
- If the sentence still makes sense, use all together: We sat all here at one table. ✅
- If it doesn't, use altogether: The school has banned phones all here. ❌
💡 The OddLingo Trick
All together is two words, and it is about all the people or things who are together. You can even see the word all.
Altogether has swallowed the space. It means "completely", and that is a whole idea in one word.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Completely? Use altogether.
❌ The plan was all together wrong.
✅ The plan was altogether wrong.
A group in one place? Use all together.
❌ The family stood altogether for the photo.
✅ The family stood all together for the photo.
Good to know
Altogether can give a total: altogether ten dollars. All together says a group is in one place: all together at the park. They sound almost the same, so check the meaning.
It is the same one-word-or-two puzzle as Maybe vs May Be and Everyday vs Every Day.
💬 In a conversation
Sam: We are all together at last.
Mia: Altogether, there are six of us.
Sam: And the cake is altogether gone.
Mia: Who ate it?
Sam: We were all together when it happened.