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Which is it: ‘Already’ or ‘All Ready’?

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Elan Yash

Elan is head of design and tech. He's also a contributor at Grammarflex.

Already vs. All Ready

👍🏼Usage Note

✓ The guests had already departed by the time we arrived. (Adverb indicating something happened before a specific point in time)
✓ Are you all ready to leave for the concert? (Adjectival phrase meaning fully prepared)
✗ My sister is already for her first day of school. (Incorrect usage; should be ‘all ready’ to mean fully prepared)
✗ I have all ready finished my breakfast. (Incorrect usage; should be ‘already’ to mean completed before now)

Commonly confused words and phrases come in a steady flow in the English language. One you may have already come across is when to use already vs. all ready. Though both sound the same aloud, they are different and should be used in the appropriate contexts.

Examples with “already” Examples with “all ready”
I’ve seen this movie twice already. Is your team all ready for the big game?

A quick tip is to pay close attention to whichever part of speech both words or phrases belong to. As an adverb, already says or qualifies something about an event or action; whereas ‘all ready‘ is an adjectival phrase that describes or modifies a noun.

Already is an adverb that emphasizes that something happened before now, “by now”, or “sooner or faster than expected”.

Examples of sentences with ‘already’

We’ve already learned this!

I’ve seen this movie twice already.

I took the turkey out of the oven already.

All ready with two words is an adjectival phrase that describes someone or something (often a group) as ‘fully prepared’ or ‘totally ready’.  

Examples sentences with ‘all ready’

Are you all ready to get in the car?

I was sick for a while, but I’m all ready to get back to work now.

Is everything all ready for dinner?

See the difference already?

💡Study Tip

Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.

Synonyms of already

  • previously
  • earlier
  • by now
  • before
  • by now

Synonyms for all ready

Check out other commonly confused words

Worksheet

Question 1 of 10

Which is grammatically correct?




What makes a sentence grammatically correct?




Question 3: What is the main focus of this grammar content?




Question 4: Which is most important for proper grammar?




Question 5: Grammar rules help with:




Question 6: What is the main focus of this grammar content?




Question 7: Which is most important for proper grammar?




Question 8: Grammar rules help with:




Question 9: What is the main focus of this grammar content?




Question 10: Which is most important for proper grammar?




Which aspect is most important when learning grammar?

How can you improve your grammar skills?



Frequently Asked Questions

What are literary devices?
+

Techniques writers use to enhance their writing and convey messages effectively.

How do literary devices differ from rhetorical devices?
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Literary devices are specific to creative writing, while rhetorical devices are broader.

Why should I learn about literary devices?
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They help you understand and appreciate literature more deeply.

Can I use literary devices in my own writing?
+

Yes, they can make your writing more engaging and effective.

What’s the best way to remember different devices?
+

Practice identifying them in texts you read regularly.

Sources

  1. Already, Thesaurus.com

Grammar Expert. "Is It Already Or All Ready." GrammarFlex, Jun 1, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-it-already-or-all-ready/.

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