“Everytime” or “every time”
Is every time one word or two? Is there a If anyone’s getting seriously fed up with English grammar and all of its rules and conventions, this one’s for you. Is every time one word or two?
Avoid this mistake and get the answer right everytime, because every time is two words . . . every time. between the single compound and two-worded version of every time? Keep reading to learn the answer on the debate on everytime vs every time.
Answer: every time is two words … every time.
Incorrect: everytime is incorrect … every time.
Everytime is commonly confused as an official compound in English, but alas, it is not. The debate between everytime vs every time is one of the simpler and more straightforward English grammar lessons because there aren’t any exceptions for this one—everytime just hasn’t made it as a formally recognized compound in English.
We can nevertheless see why every time is a commonly confused compound, since other words like everyday, or everyone conjoin every with another individual word. For whatever the case may be, every time has yet to be accepted formally as a compound word.
When it comes to formal and academic writing purposes, make sure to write every time correctly, as two separate words and—not a single, compound word. With informal writing and text conversations, it’s okay to use the single word everytime (though technically incorrect—it means the same thing, and shouldn’t cause any confusion in communication).
What is the meaning of every time?
Every time is defined in the dictionary as “whenever,” or “without exception.” For example: Our coffee machine brews the perfect cup every time.
Examples of sentences that use every time:
The following sentences demonstrate the correct use of every time:
1. It brews a perfect blend of coffee every time!
2. Every time I go to the mountains, I have a great time.
3. That movie gets me every time I see it.
4. I seem to forget something every time I leave the house.
5. Every time I think things can’t get any worse, they do.
6. He aimed at the target but missed the mark every time.
7. You don’t need to remind me to do the dishes every time.
8. Every time we breathe, we inhale pollutants.
9. I would choose the cheese board over the dessert trolley every time.
10. A good rule of thumb is to wash your children’s hands every time they touch your dog.
11. Nobody is perfect or gets it right every time.
12. Every time I go out there I feel better and better.
13. He changes his mind about the facts every time he testifies.
14. Our growth rates have expanded every time we tightened our focus.
15. I see them every time I go to the ball park.
Other commonly confused compound words
The English language is notorious for its numerous exceptions. Many extremely common words that people use are treated as compound words, when most often they’re either single words, or could be a compound word (depending on the context in which it’s used.) Take a look at these other commonly confused as-a-compound words:
● Altogether vs all together: Both the contraction and the two words all together are recognized words, but they vary in their meaning and context.
● Alright vs all right: Alright is a compound of all right. Technically, alright is informal and should be avoided in formal writing.
● Alot vs a lot: Alot is not a word and should be avoided period. A lot is an idiom that means “very much.”
● Nevermind vs never mind: The correct word is ‘never mind’ as two words, never mind what Nirvana has to say.
● Anytime vs any time: Any time is a noun phrase and sometimes an adverbial phrase, when used after the preposition ‘at’. Anytime as a single word is an adverb and contraction that combines the two words any and time.
● Photoshoot vs photo shoot: Technically the two worded version, photo shoot, is formally correct. That said, the single word photoshoot is growing in popularity, and is also commonly used (despite not being technically correct English.)
● Everyday vs every day: Most often, the two-worded version, every day, is correct English. Despite this, the compound and single word, everyday, is often used in its place.
What are synonyms for every time?
These words and phrases share a similar meaning with the phrase every time, and can be written in the same or similar contexts:
● Each time
● No matter when
● Without exception
● Without fail
● Whenever
● At any moment
● Anytime
● At any time
● At any point
● Each time
● Invariably
Origin of every time
The word ‘every’ is an adjective, meaning “each, considered indefinitely as a unitary part of an aggregate; all, of a collective or aggregate number, taken one by one;” Every is a contraction of the Old English words æfre ælc “each of a group.”
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
What’s the difference between invoke and evoke?
In review
The correct spelling and word is every time as two words, not one word. The single word everytime is a common misspelling and not a real compound word (as of yet.)
Sources
- Every time sentence examples
- Definition of every time
- Difference between everytime and every time
- Etymology of every
- Origin of time
- Synonyms for every time
