All vs Every

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

All

High-frequency chunk A1 determiner

Every

Top 2,000 (common) A1 determiner

Most common: All

	All	Every
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ɔːl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɔːl/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈevri/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈevri/"]/
Meaning	Everything or everyone, without exception.	all the things in a group without exception
Example	All the students in the class passed the exam.	Every student in the class passed the exam.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	High-frequency chunk	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A1	A1
Part of speech	determiner	determiner
Collocations	all day, all the time, all over, all of us	every day, every month, every time
Antonyms	none, part, some	none
Common mistakes	'All' used without a noun (e.g. saying 'I love all' instead of 'I love all of them')., Confused with 'all of' when it shouldn't be (e.g. 'All of the students came' is correct; 'All students came' is also correct in informal contexts).	Using 'every' with plural nouns like 'every students.', Confusing 'every' with 'all' especially in non-count situations., Omitting the singular noun after 'every.'
Usage notes	Use 'all' in both spoken and written English when referring to the entirety of a group. Avoid using 'all' when referring to a specific subset, as it implies inclusivity.	Use 'every' when referring to each individual item in a group. It's not used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns. For example, it's correct to say 'every student,' but not 'every students.'

See it in real clips

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

Every knight needs a squire.

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Every time.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

I'm gonna pay him back. Every penny.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

Every knight needs a squire.

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Every time.

Every

Frequently asked questions: All vs Every

What's the difference between All and Every?

All: Everything or everyone, without exception. Every: all the things in a group without exception

Which is more common: All and Every?

All is the most common in everyday English.

Are All and Every the same CEFR level?

All: A1, Every: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are All and Every?

All: determiner, Every: determiner.

Can you show an example of each?

All: All the students in the class passed the exam. Every: Every student in the class passed the exam.

Can I use All and Every interchangeably?

Not always. All and Every are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.