Does “Altogether” Ever Mean “In Total”?
Yes. Altogether can mean in total when it sums amounts: “That’s 12 pages altogether.” In that role it’s about a total, not about items being grouped.
Altogether and all together sound the same, but they do different jobs. One word is an adverb about degree or total. Two words point to things being in a group or at the same time.
✅ Correct
altogether = completely, in total, or on the whole
✅ Correct
all together = all in one place, as a group, or simultaneously
❌ Wrong
Writing altogether when you mean everyone gathered (group meaning)
❌ Wrong
Writing all together when you mean completely or in total
If you need a trusted, plain-language definition for altogether (including the “in total” sense), Merriam-Webster lists the standard meanings in one place. ✅Source
This mix-up is mostly about spacing, not spelling skill. Altogether is a single-word adverb that talks about degree or a total. All together is a two-word phrase that keeps the idea of togetherness literal.
Meaning And Core Difference
- altogether (one word)
- An adverb that means completely, in total, or on the whole. It comments on degree, extent, or a sum.
- all together (two words)
- A phrase built from all + together. It keeps a literal “group” sense: everyone or everything is together, often in the same place or at the same time.
The easiest way to think about the split is meaning, not sound. Altogether answers ideas like how much, to what extent, or how many in total. All together answers ideas like with whom or in what grouping.
Altogether: Meaning And Grammar
Altogether is an adverb. It often sits near the word it modifies, especially an adjective or another adverb. When it means completely, it has a strong “to the full extent” feel. When it means in total, it behaves like a clean sum. When it means on the whole, it frames an overall judgment.
- Part Of Speech: Adverb
- Core Ideas: completely, in total, overall
- Typical Neighbors: different, wrong, stop, sum
- Completely: “The tone was altogether different after the update.”
- In Total: “We raised $240 altogether from three small sales.”
- On The Whole: “Altogether, the plan worked better than expected.”
A very common pattern is not altogether. It softens a statement without flipping it. “I’m not altogether convinced” usually means partly convinced, not zero convinced. Collins notes this “less forceful” use as a standard function of altogether. ✅Source
Placement Notes That Matter
When altogether modifies an adjective, it usually appears right before it: “an altogether unexpected result.” When it modifies a verb, it often comes after: “The buzzing stopped altogether.” When it signals a total, it often lands near numbers: “Ten items altogether.”
All Together: Meaning And Grammar
All together is the word all plus the adverb together. That structure keeps a literal sense: people, items, or parts are gathered, combined, or acting in one group. It’s the right pick when the sentence is about togetherness, not degree.
- Structure: all + together
- Core Ideas: as a group, in one place, at the same time
- Typical Verbs: gather, sit, work, sing
- Group Location: “The team ate all together in the break room.”
- Shared Timing: “The lights turned on all together.”
- Collective Action: “They spoke all together and the message got messy.”
You’ll also see all together in set phrases like “all together now,” which signals simultaneous action. Britannica’s dictionary usage note explicitly separates the one-word altogether from the two-word all together and includes the “all at the same time” meaning. ✅Source
Meaning Signal If the sentence is about being together in a real-world sense (place, time, group action), all together fits naturally. If the sentence is about extent or a total, altogether is the usual form.
Where People Mix Them Up
The confusion happens because both forms are spoken the same way in normal conversation. In writing, the difference is visible: altogether is a compound, while all together is a phrase. Autocorrect and fast typing make it worse, because your brain hears one sound and your hands pick one spacing.
Same Sentence Shape, Different Meaning
Altogether: “The design is altogether cleaner.” Here it means completely, a degree word.
All together: “The design files are all together in one folder.” Here it means in one place, a grouping idea.
A Tiny Word That Changes The Focus
With all together, the word all can feel optional in some contexts: “They sat together” vs “They sat all together.” The second version leans into the whole group, not just proximity.
With altogether, you can’t drop a piece. It’s one unit that carries an adverb meaning like completely or in total.
Sentence Patterns That Signal Each One
These patterns aren’t strict rules, but they show how English typically uses the two forms. Altogether often lives in “degree/total” territory, while all together lives in “group/time” territory. Seeing the usual neighbors makes the choice feel obvious.
Altogether Often Appears With
- Adjectives: “altogether different,” “altogether new,” “altogether wrong”
- Verbs Of Stopping: “stop altogether,” “end altogether”
- Totals: “$80 altogether,” “three hours altogether”
- Whole-Sentence Framing: “Altogether, the changes helped.”
All Together Often Appears With
- Gathering Verbs: “meet all together,” “sit all together,” “work all together”
- Place Phrases: “all together in one room,” “all together on one page”
- Time Cues: “arrived all together,” “started all together”
- Collective Prompts: “All together now…”
Side-By-Side Comparison Table
This table keeps it practical: pick the meaning first, then the spacing. Meaning drives the choice. Spacing follows. The examples are short, clean, and built to show the difference.
| Meaning You Want | Correct Form | Example Sentence | What It’s Doing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completely | ✅ altogether | The plan changed altogether after the review. | Degree / extent |
| In Total | ✅ altogether | We shipped 18 units altogether. | Total / sum |
| Overall | ✅ altogether | Altogether, it was a smooth launch. | Whole-sentence framing |
| As A Group | ✅ all together | The guests stood all together near the entrance. | Grouping / togetherness |
| At The Same Time | ✅ all together | The alarms went off all together. | Simultaneous timing |
| Group Meaning but spaced wrong | ❌ altogether | They sat altogether at one table. | Looks like degree, but meaning is group |
| Degree Meaning but spaced wrong | ❌ all together | The answer is all together incorrect. | Looks like group, but meaning is completely |
FAQ
Is “Altogether” Always One Word?
Yes, altogether is written as one word when you mean completely, in total, or on the whole. If you split it into all together, the meaning shifts toward grouping or simultaneous action.
Can “All Together” Appear At The End Of A Sentence?
Yes. All together is flexible because it’s a phrase. You can place it where you’d naturally put together: “They arrived all together.” The key is that the meaning stays group-based, not degree-based.
Does “Altogether” Ever Mean “In Total”?
Yes. Altogether can mean in total when it sums amounts: “That’s 12 pages altogether.” In that role it’s about a total, not about items being grouped.
Altogether and all together sound the same, but they do different jobs. One word is an adverb about degree or total. Two words point to things being in a group or at the same time.
✅ Correct
altogether = completely, in total, or on the whole
✅ Correct
all together = all in one place, as a group, or simultaneously
❌ Wrong
Writing altogether when you mean everyone gathered (group meaning)
❌ Wrong
Writing all together when you mean completely or in total
If you need a trusted, plain-language definition for altogether (including the “in total” sense), Merriam-Webster lists the standard meanings in one place. ✅Source
This mix-up is mostly about spacing, not spelling skill. Altogether is a single-word adverb that talks about degree or a total. All together is a two-word phrase that keeps the idea of togetherness literal.
Meaning And Core Difference
- altogether (one word)
- An adverb that means completely, in total, or on the whole. It comments on degree, extent, or a sum.
- all together (two words)
- A phrase built from all + together. It keeps a literal “group” sense: everyone or everything is together, often in the same place or at the same time.
The easiest way to think about the split is meaning, not sound. Altogether answers ideas like how much, to what extent, or how many in total. All together answers ideas like with whom or in what grouping.
Altogether: Meaning And Grammar
Altogether is an adverb. It often sits near the word it modifies, especially an adjective or another adverb. When it means completely, it has a strong “to the full extent” feel. When it means in total, it behaves like a clean sum. When it means on the whole, it frames an overall judgment.
- Part Of Speech: Adverb
- Core Ideas: completely, in total, overall
- Typical Neighbors: different, wrong, stop, sum
- Completely: “The tone was altogether different after the update.”
- In Total: “We raised $240 altogether from three small sales.”
- On The Whole: “Altogether, the plan worked better than expected.”
A very common pattern is not altogether. It softens a statement without flipping it. “I’m not altogether convinced” usually means partly convinced, not zero convinced. Collins notes this “less forceful” use as a standard function of altogether. ✅Source
Placement Notes That Matter
When altogether modifies an adjective, it usually appears right before it: “an altogether unexpected result.” When it modifies a verb, it often comes after: “The buzzing stopped altogether.” When it signals a total, it often lands near numbers: “Ten items altogether.”
All Together: Meaning And Grammar
All together is the word all plus the adverb together. That structure keeps a literal sense: people, items, or parts are gathered, combined, or acting in one group. It’s the right pick when the sentence is about togetherness, not degree.
- Structure: all + together
- Core Ideas: as a group, in one place, at the same time
- Typical Verbs: gather, sit, work, sing
- Group Location: “The team ate all together in the break room.”
- Shared Timing: “The lights turned on all together.”
- Collective Action: “They spoke all together and the message got messy.”
You’ll also see all together in set phrases like “all together now,” which signals simultaneous action. Britannica’s dictionary usage note explicitly separates the one-word altogether from the two-word all together and includes the “all at the same time” meaning. ✅Source
Meaning Signal If the sentence is about being together in a real-world sense (place, time, group action), all together fits naturally. If the sentence is about extent or a total, altogether is the usual form.
Where People Mix Them Up
The confusion happens because both forms are spoken the same way in normal conversation. In writing, the difference is visible: altogether is a compound, while all together is a phrase. Autocorrect and fast typing make it worse, because your brain hears one sound and your hands pick one spacing.
Same Sentence Shape, Different Meaning
Altogether: “The design is altogether cleaner.” Here it means completely, a degree word.
All together: “The design files are all together in one folder.” Here it means in one place, a grouping idea.
A Tiny Word That Changes The Focus
With all together, the word all can feel optional in some contexts: “They sat together” vs “They sat all together.” The second version leans into the whole group, not just proximity.
With altogether, you can’t drop a piece. It’s one unit that carries an adverb meaning like completely or in total.
Sentence Patterns That Signal Each One
These patterns aren’t strict rules, but they show how English typically uses the two forms. Altogether often lives in “degree/total” territory, while all together lives in “group/time” territory. Seeing the usual neighbors makes the choice feel obvious.
Altogether Often Appears With
- Adjectives: “altogether different,” “altogether new,” “altogether wrong”
- Verbs Of Stopping: “stop altogether,” “end altogether”
- Totals: “$80 altogether,” “three hours altogether”
- Whole-Sentence Framing: “Altogether, the changes helped.”
All Together Often Appears With
- Gathering Verbs: “meet all together,” “sit all together,” “work all together”
- Place Phrases: “all together in one room,” “all together on one page”
- Time Cues: “arrived all together,” “started all together”
- Collective Prompts: “All together now…”
Side-By-Side Comparison Table
This table keeps it practical: pick the meaning first, then the spacing. Meaning drives the choice. Spacing follows. The examples are short, clean, and built to show the difference.
| Meaning You Want | Correct Form | Example Sentence | What It’s Doing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completely | ✅ altogether | The plan changed altogether after the review. | Degree / extent |
| In Total | ✅ altogether | We shipped 18 units altogether. | Total / sum |
| Overall | ✅ altogether | Altogether, it was a smooth launch. | Whole-sentence framing |
| As A Group | ✅ all together | The guests stood all together near the entrance. | Grouping / togetherness |
| At The Same Time | ✅ all together | The alarms went off all together. | Simultaneous timing |
| Group Meaning but spaced wrong | ❌ altogether | They sat altogether at one table. | Looks like degree, but meaning is group |
| Degree Meaning but spaced wrong | ❌ all together | The answer is all together incorrect. | Looks like group, but meaning is completely |
FAQ
Is “Altogether” Always One Word?
Yes, altogether is written as one word when you mean completely, in total, or on the whole. If you split it into all together, the meaning shifts toward grouping or simultaneous action.
Can “All Together” Appear At The End Of A Sentence?
Yes. All together is flexible because it’s a phrase. You can place it where you’d naturally put together: “They arrived all together.” The key is that the meaning stays group-based, not degree-based.
Does “Altogether” Ever Mean “In Total”?
Yes. Altogether can mean in total when it sums amounts: “That’s 12 pages altogether.” In that role it’s about a total, not about items being grouped.