Difference Between Already and All Ready

Sometimes, when we are writing a sentence, we come across some identical words. They seem to be alike, both in spelling and pronunciation and the problem arises that, which word should be used? There are many such words in the English language which create such confusion.

‘All Ready’ and ‘Already’ are one of those, in which most people get confused or simply don’t know which one to use for their sentence. They both might seem to be similar but, they are not the same- both carry different meanings.

In layman’s language if we define ‘Already’, it simply means something prior or before the present time. On the other hand, if we talk about ‘All Ready’, it shows the total readiness or something completely ready.

Though, both the words sound and spell identical, both have different meanings and thus cannot be used as synonyms. We must understand- when and where, which one is to be used to make a perfect sentence.

Already vs All Ready

The main difference between Already and All Ready is that “Already” refers that something has been done before the current time while all ready refers that everything or everyone is all set for something. Already is used in an affirmative or interrogative sentence and all ready can be used in all sentences.

Examples: Already – Have you already done your homework? All ready – I’m all ready for the dance show.

Let’s take a look at the table and information below to master these two different terms -‘Already’ and ‘All Ready’.

Comparison Table Between Already and All Ready

What is Already?

Already is an adverb. As per the WordNet Already means,” prior to a specified or implied time.” As already shows something completed or done in past or prior to the time concerned.

We use already to show that something has happened, or that something had happened before the moment we are referring to. It shows that a situation exists at this present moment or that it exists at an earlier time than expected.

You can also use “Already” to add emphasis. In simple words, “Already” describes something that you are done with. Let’s study a few examples below to see how we use ‘Already’ in a sentence -:

What is All Ready?

‘All Ready’ is not a word itself, it is two words used together simultaneously – ‘All’ and ‘Ready’. Which means everything ready, completely ready, totally ready. It just describes the word “Ready” in a better way and shows the magnitude of readiness.

It can be used instead of just using ‘ready’, to increase the emphasis of the sentence spoken or written. In a sentence, you can actually replace ‘All ready’ with just ‘ready’ without much affecting the meaning of the sentence. Here is an example – “I’m all ready for the trip”.

Now just replace ‘All ready’ with ‘ready’, and the new sentence will be – “I’m ready for the trip”. Now you see the meaning of the sentence remains the same, however, the emphasis on readiness reduces in the second sentence.

Also, when you speak both the sentences, you will feel more enthusiasm in the first sentence compared to the second one. Now, let’s take a look at some examples to know the use of ‘all ready’ in sentences.

Here are a few examples:

Main Differences Between Already and All Ready

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Already and All Ready

Is all ready a word?

All ready are two different words but they are often used together to imply the meaning ‘completely ready’. Ready means prepared.
All is used before ready to put more emphasis on the word.
Together, they mean completely prepared. They can be used for an individual, group, somebody or even everybody.

How do you use all ready in a sentence?

You can use all ready in a sentence in different manners. Usually, the two words are used together to ask or say if someone or something is completely prepared or not.
Here are a few examples where all ready is used in a sentence:
John is all ready to walk the dog.
Are you all ready for the picnic?
They are all ready for the dance.
Is Mary all ready for the interview?
His bags are packed and he is all ready to go.

Is already a real word?

Yes, already is a real word. Already generally means previously or so soon. It is an adverb and is used to denote that something is occurred prior to a specific or given time or as early as right now.
Basically it refers to time and it means ‘by this time’ or ‘by the mentioned time’.
Here are a few examples to understand it better:
He is already here.
I have already watched the movie.
He has already finished the project.

How do you use already?

Already is used to put emphasis on the fact that something is completed or happened before something else started or takes place. It is often used with present perfect or past perfect tense.
In the present perfect: I have already finished my assignment.
In past perfect: He had already left the house before John reached there.
Here are certain situations in which already is used.
Before the present time: We asked Tony to come to the fair with us but he had already been there. Stop asking the same thing, I have already told this to him. The movie had already begun by the time we reached the theater.
Earlier than the time expected: Are you thinking of getting married already? I have only eaten one slice of pizza and I’m already full.

Conclusion

In the corporate world, we use formal communication. Which is mostly written and while writing, we encounter such difficulties of choosing between ‘already’ and ‘all ready’. Due to this, it becomes a challenge to make the communication process successful.

However, communication can be made successful and elegant only when, we know that how? When? And where? Which word is to be used? to make the sentences or conversations more meaningful and easier to communicate and understand the purpose of communication.

As we have seen and studied the use of Already and All Ready and also the difference between the two, we can now quickly sum up the above information. We can say that Already and All Ready is very differently used in sentences and their meanings don’t intersect any way far.

Both make different sense, though they sound and spell similar. Where Already is showing us something done in the past, All Ready shows us readiness for the purpose of a future event. Already indicates task or thing completed, All Ready is dealing with completely or totally prepared for the subject.

Already is a word in itself. Whereas All Ready is not a single word, we use all with ready just to emphasize the sentence. Now the confusion regarding the use of Already and All Ready should be clear. As now we know how and when these two are to used in different sentences or conversations.

Now, by putting these words cleverly and skillfully without any mistake or confusion, you can make your communication (specially written) much more effective.

References

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