All right vs Alright

Plucky Novice

Plucky Novice

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Hi all,

What's the consensus on this one in SFF novels?

A quick google search shows that the formal position is that "all right" is correct and that "alright" isn't. However, written language is trending towards "alright" whether strictly correct or not. Language perpetually changes as we know, and not least in today's rapidly changing online environment, so perhaps "alright" is now just that.

Personally, I find "alright" easier to read and more natural to write.

Have at it grammarians.

PN
 
Depends how it's being used. If something isn't good or bad, it's 'alright', not 'all right'; whereas if a teacher checked your homework and every question was answered correctly, it would be 'all right' and not 'alright'.
 
Without using my google-fu or even checking the musty-trusty dictionary--KNOWING what I'm about to say is INCORRECT--I'm going with these:

1. All right: Everything regarding the subject is correct.

1. Alright: A confirmation that something is understood by the respondent.
2. Alright: An affirmative confirmation that something requested will be done by the respondent.
3. Alright: A response regarding a person's state of mind or physical health, or a situation or event is moderately well/acceptable.

1. Aieet: (See 'Alright' definitions) response by a hep cat for 'alright.'

Naturally, none of the above are all right.

K2
 
Plucky Novice said:
Hi all,

What's the consensus on this one in SFF novels?

A quick google search shows that the formal position is that "all right" is correct and that "alright" isn't. However, written language is trending towards "alright" whether strictly correct or not. Language perpetually changes as we know, and not least in today's rapidly changing online environment, so perhaps "alright" is now just that.

Personally, I find "alright" easier to read and more natural to write.

Have at it grammarians.

PN
Click to expand...

You've summed up the position. It's still regarded as informal, but is OK in informal writing. Tailor to suit taste or the market.

I prefer "all right" myself, same as "any more" etc.
 
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Plucky Novice said:
Hi all,

What's the consensus on this one in SFF novels?

A quick google search shows that the formal position is that "all right" is correct and that "alright" isn't. However, written language is trending towards "alright" whether strictly correct or not. Language perpetually changes as we know, and not least in today's rapidly changing online environment, so perhaps "alright" is now just that.

Personally, I find "alright" easier to read and more natural to write.

Have at it grammarians.

PN
Click to expand...
I definitely prefer alright over all right.
 
Perhaps they should compromise with 'all-right' :unsure:

K2
 
Brian G Turner said:
Alright can read as dialect or a mis-spelling to some readers throwing them out of the text. UK readers might be familiar with it, but overseas readers may not.

All right is the safer choice to use.
Click to expand...
I agree, except when 'all right' is used to describe a mood. You would be saying, "I'm completely excellent" while 'alright' is just sort of "I'm not bad, but nothing good to note."

I think if you suspect the readers won't understand 'alright' you should use a different phrase to describe it altogether.
 
I think 'alright' is so deeply enmeshed in our cultural slang that it would be acceptable anywhere except maybe medieval fantasy stories, where contemporary slang just looks out of place.
 
HareBrain said:
I prefer "all right" myself, same as "any more" etc.
Click to expand...
The situation is different with "any more / anymore." The two forms have different uses. E.g.:

"Is there any more soup?"

"I've gotten rid of my cable and only watch streaming channels anymore."

As an adverb, it's one word. Editors tend to be pretty strict about this distinction.

As for "all right," an editor slapped my knuckles a long time ago for using "alright," and I've never used it since. Basically, what I was told was, if you're writing a character who's supposed to sound "slangy," you can use "alright" in combination with other variant spellings that give us an idea of the character's slang, accent, or whatever. But if you're using it in the speech of a character who otherwise speaks in straightforward English, with no other variant spellings, then you have to use "all right." And of course, never use "alright" in narration, only in dialogue.
 
alright is all right with me and I'm US.
I'm not sure it is all regional as much as a difference between formal and informal speech.
 
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