All together vs altogether: What's the difference? English In A Minute

Hi I'm Phil

and I'm going to tell you the difference between

'all together' and 'altogether'.

Yes, they sound the same, but they're not.

'All together' – that's two words and two 'L's –

means 'everything or everyone

being or doing something together

with everything or everyone else'.

Let's sing all together!

Or:

Put the vegetables in the bowl

and mix them all together.

'Altogether' – that's one word and one 'L' –

is an adverb and it means

'completely' or 'entirely'.

My brother has an altogether different personality to me.

He's nothing like me!

So if you have 'altogether' as one complete word,

it means 'completely' or 'entirely'.

And if we have 'all together' as two words together

then that means 'everything or everyone together'.