When doing revisions to a novel, it’s important for writers to be consistent. What does this mean in terms of spelling for words such as “Alright” vs “All Right” when writing exposition or dialogue?
According to various online dictionaries, it appears “All Right” was the original spelling. “Alright” has worked its way into our slang. Both are now accepted as correct.
I chose to go with the Grammarly response, in which “Alright” is better defined as an adjective meaning “good” or “well” as in, “Are you alright?” Or it can be exclamatory, such as “Alright! I’ll go with you.” This spelling is more often used in dialogue or informal writing.
In contrast, “all right” is better for formal uses or if you prefer the original spelling. It can be used as an adjective or an adverb to mean things are satisfactory or correct or things are fine. Example: “It’s all right. I can handle it from here.” Or, “All right, I’ll see what I can do.”
Minor points like this need to be addressed in order for phrasing to be consistent throughout a story. It’s only one of the aspects of revisions when writing a novel.
What particular phrases or spellings do you look for when polishing your story?
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Alright grates every time I see it, and I refuse to use it. I use Oxford commas, too.
I am using “All right” now that I know the difference and that this was the original spelling.