A little while back, I wrote an article on cannot and can not. After posting it, I got to thinking about several other open and closed forms and how the little space (or lack of space) between words can change meanings or introduce errors. Today, I’ll be writing about a few other open and closed forms, with some hyphenated forms in the mix. At the end of each section are recommendations. References, as usual, are available for further reading.
All Right and Alright
The Chicago Manual of Style (2017, 309) is pretty blunt in saying all right is two words and that a single word with one l is not acceptable—no questions or exceptions allowed. Walsh (2000, 100), however, is a bit more forgiving in saying he is “tempted to give in” on the single-word usage since it has been a prominent form used in pop culture since the 1960s. Sabin (2010, 361) admits that some dictionaries list alright as a word but is quick to note that it is generally considered incorrect. Garner (2009, 35) also tells us that, while the closed form has been “gaining shadowy acceptance” in British English, the single-word form is generally not acceptable in American English. The Associated Press Stylebook (2020, 13) agrees with Chicago, saying that all right should never appear as alright. But the Stylebook goes a bit further by giving an example of a hyphenated form in colloquial usage: “He is an all-right guy.”
Recommendation: Use the open form all right because it is generally considered correct. There is no reason to draw unwanted attention to your work, which is exactly what the closed form would do. And if you are an all-right person, feel free to describe yourself as such.
Every Day and Everyday
Every day and everyday are not the same, even if they seem so aurally. To set the record straight, everyday is an adjective meaning “usual” or “typical.” Every day is a phrase that usually works as an adverb, meaning “daily” or “each day.” The two forms have very different meanings. The Associated Press Stylebook (2020, 104), Chicago (2017, 329), Garner (2009, 320), Sabin (2010, 378), and Walsh (2000, 147) all have the same definitions and usage recommendations for the two forms. Make note of the usage in the following examples.
Example I: We met every day over the last month to discuss the reorganization. (Each day, adverbial form)
Example II: You can wear your everyday clothes since the dress code is informal. (Typical or usual, adjectival form)
Recommendation: If you are referring to something that happens daily, then use every day. If you intend to indicate that something is ordinary, usual, or typical, then use the closed form, everyday.
A Lot, Alot, and Allot
A lot, alot, and allot are three different things, and one of them, alot, isn’t even a word. Chicago (2017, 310) and Walsh (2000, 100) are straightforward in indicating that a lot is two words, but they don’t mention anything about allot. Sabin (2010, 362), while also stating that alot is not a word, is the only one of today’s resources to address the allot issue by providing two definitions: a lot means “to a considerable quantity or extent,” and allot, which is a verb, means “to distribute or assign a share of something.”
Recommendation: Never use alot—it isn’t a word. If you mean to describe the quantity of something, then use a lot. If you are discussing how to allocate or distribute something, then use allot.
Follow-Up, Followup, and Follow Up
Followup is an uncommon variant that none of the sources consulted here include it, so skip it—easy enough. Between the hyphenated form and the open form, knowing which to use depends on the part of speech intended. The hyphenated form is often used as a compound noun, and the open form as a verb phrase (Sabin 2010, 252). However, Sabin (2010, 261–62) also indicates that the hyphenated form can serve as an adjective. Walsh (2000, 32) does not address the matter, but he does use follow-up as an adjective in his own text. The Associated Press Stylebook (2020, 305) lists follow-up as a hyphenated noun and adjective and says to use two words when it is a verb.
Example I: As a follow-up to our meeting, please consider the information in the attached document. (Noun)
Example II: We will have a follow-up meeting next Thursday. (Adjective)
Example III: Let’s follow up next Thursday to discuss any new developments. (Verb)
Recommendation: Decide whether you need an adjective, a noun, or a verb, and then use either the hyphenated (noun or adjective) form or the open (verb) form as needed, follow-up and follow up respectively.
Any One and Anyone
Both any one and anyone are proper forms, but they are not the same. According to Chicago (2017, 311) and Garner (2009, 52), anyone is a singular indefinite pronoun meaning “any person at all.” It is used when no particular person is being referenced. In the two-word form (any one), one keeps its meaning of “a single one,” and the phrase refers to any single member of a group, whether people or things. It is usually followed by of. The Associated Press Stylebook (2020, 13) and Sabin (2010, 301–2) offer the same advice as Chicago and Garner do. The examples below illustrate recommended usage.
Example I: Anyone who took the class would know the answer to that question. (Any person at all)
Example II: Have you seen any one of those people? (Any single person in a particular group)
Example III: I did not read any one of those papers. (Any single item in a particular group)
Recommendation: Use the closed form (anyone) when you mean any person at all. Use the open form (any one) when you mean any single member of a group. A quick test: if you can replace it with any single one, use any one.
Conclusion
Open forms, closed forms, and hyphens can change the meaning of words. Today I highlighted a few of them. Several other word forms are affected by this typographic trinity, but for brevity, I am closing off the topic here. The sources at the end have additional information.
For further reading: Sabin (2010, 252–53) gives several examples of hyphenated and closed compounds and their related two-word verb phrases. The Associated Press Stylebook (2020, 305–6) also has a list of hyphenated and closed compounds and notes that they become two words as verbs. Walsh (2000, 6–12, 87) has detailed information on the topic with several examples.
References
The Associated Press Stylebook 2020–2022. 2020. 55th ed. New York: Basic Books.
The Chicago Manual of Style. 2017. 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Garner, Bryan A. 2009. Garner’s Modern American Usage. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sabin, William A. 2010. The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting. Tribute ed. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Walsh, Bill. 2000. Lapsing into a Comma: A Curmudgeon’s Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print—and How to Avoid Them. New York: McGraw-Hill.