Practice
All ready and already: understand the difference
Sign in to saveThe boxes are all ready for collection. The driver has already left. The words sound close, but the space changes the meaning.
Choose all ready for people or things that are prepared, and already for something that happened or was true before now or before another time.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
all ready / already /ɔːl ˈredi/ /ɔːlˈredi/
The short answer
Use all ready when every person or thing is prepared. Use already when something has happened, is finished, or is true earlier than expected or earlier than a stated time.
We are all ready to begin the workshop, but the presenter has already arrived.
Why it works: All ready describes the group's preparation. Already tells us that the presenter's arrival happened before the workshop begins.
5 more examples
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The guests are all ready for dinner.
All ready describes every guest as prepared for the meal.
Not this:The guests have
alreadyeaten dinner. What changes: Already places the meal earlier than the time of speaking. -
Our documents are all ready to send.
The phrase means that the complete set of documents is prepared.
Not this:Our documents were
alreadysent this morning. What changes: Already shows that sending happened before the current discussion. -
The children were all ready when the bus arrived.
All ready describes the children's state of preparation at that time.
Not this:The bus had
alreadyarrived when the children came outside. What changes: Already shows that the bus arrived before the children came outside. -
The kitchen is all ready for the cooking class.
The room and its equipment are prepared for the class.
Not this:The cooking class is
alreadyfull. What changes: Already shows that the class became full before someone tried to join. -
I was all ready to call you when my phone rang.
The speaker had completed the preparation needed to make the call.
Not this:I had
alreadycalled you before I saw your message. What changes: Already puts the call before the later event of seeing the message.
Read the full guide
First ask whether the sentence describes preparation. If it does, write all ready. You can often add for, to, or when after the phrase: all ready for the trip or all ready to leave. If the sentence points to an earlier time, write already. It often appears with the present perfect, such as has already started, but it can also appear with other verb forms.
Use all ready for complete preparation
All ready has two words. Use it when every person or thing in a group is prepared. The phrase answers a question about readiness, not time. It often follows be and can be followed by for or to.
The volunteers are all ready for the charity sale.
The sentence describes the volunteers' prepared state, so all ready is the right phrase.
Choose the form: The bags are ___ for the journey.
Choose all ready. The bags have been prepared for the journey.
Use already for an earlier time
Already is one word and usually works as an adverb. It tells the reader that something happened or became true before now, before another event, or sooner than expected. It does not mean prepared.
The train has already passed the next station.
The train's movement happened earlier than the present moment, so already gives time information.
Choose the form: By noon, the technician had ___ fixed the printer.
Choose already. The repair happened before noon.
Check what the word describes
All ready describes the subject's state. You can ask, Prepared for what? Already connects an event or state with time. You can ask, Earlier than when? These questions help when both spellings seem possible.
The shelves are all ready for the new books.
The shelves are prepared, so the phrase describes their state.
The library already has the new books.
Already tells us that the library had the books before the expected time.
Notice common positions for already
Already often appears after have, has, or had and before the past participle. It can also follow be or come before the main verb in other sentence patterns. Focus on the earlier-time meaning instead of memorizing one position.
Maya has already booked a table.
Already sits between has and booked, which is a common present-perfect position.
Maya is already at the restaurant.
Already comes after be here and still means earlier than expected.
Use the space as a final writing check
When you write all ready, the space separates all from ready. The words keep their usual meanings: all means every one or every part, and ready means prepared. Already is a single adverb. Read the sentence once more after choosing the form.
Are the forms all ready for the office?
The speaker asks whether all the forms are prepared.
Choose the form: The office is ___ closed for the day.
Choose already. The closing happened before the time of speaking.
Before you go
Remember this
Use all ready for complete preparation: The files are all ready for review. Use already for an earlier time: The manager has already reviewed the files. Check both the space and the meaning before you send the sentence.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "All ready and already: understand the difference"
What is the difference between all ready and already?
All ready means fully prepared, usually for an action or event. Already means before now, before another time, or earlier than expected. Compare a group that is all ready to start with a task that has already finished.
The guests are all ready for dinner.
Is all ready one word or two?
Write all ready as two words when all strengthens ready. The phrase means that every person or thing is prepared. For example, a set of documents can be all ready to send when each document is complete.
The guests have already eaten dinner.
Where does already go in a sentence?
Already often comes between have, has, or had and a past participle, as in has already begun. It can also appear after be or before another main verb. In each position, it adds an earlier-time meaning.
Our documents are all ready to send.
Can all ready and already sound the same?
They can sound very similar in ordinary speech. Use the sentence meaning to decide. A phrase about prepared people or things needs all ready, while an earlier action or state needs already.
Our documents were already sent this morning.
How can I check my spelling before I send a message?
Ask whether the sentence means fully prepared or earlier than a time. If it means prepared, write all ready with a space. If it means earlier, write already as one word. Then read the whole sentence again.
The children were all ready when the bus arrived.