I’m not sure how Bob Marley originally wrote this song, but someone needed to mention that alright is not generally accepted as a correct spelling. It’s two words, ALL RIGHT. All right?
As for the title of this post, already means “up until this time.” All ready means “complete, finished.” The posters for the campaign were all ready to be picked up. George already got them this afternoon.
This is an easy one: so far, “alright” is not considered an acceptable form of this construction. “Alright is all wrong” might help you to remember. However, given the prevalence of the one-word spelling in advertising and popular culture, I predict it is only a matter of time before “all right” will be “all wrong.” Meanwhile, I’m hanging in there with the purists.
Yesterday a dear friend who knows I am a language nut gave me a tiny book published in 1920 called Mend Your Speech. A rather severe title, but the book contains 48 pages of advice for both speech and writing, much of it still apt today.
On page 15 is advice about “all right” and “already.” Here’s the deal:
“All right” is the only way to write those words. No such word as “alright” exists.
“Already” means before now: “We have already seen that movie.” “All ready” means to be prepared: “I have packed and am all ready to leave for Antarctica.”
