Cool MateAll vs Everything
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
All
High-frequency chunkA1determiner
Everything
Top 1,000 (very common)A1pronoun
| All | Everything | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɔːl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɔːl/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈevriθɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈevriθɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Everything or everyone, without exception. | all things; all that exists |
| Example | All the students in the class passed the exam. | Everything had gone. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | High-frequency chunk | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | determiner | pronoun |
| Collocations | all day, all the time, all over, all of us | everything is fine, everything changes, everything you need, everything will be okay |
| Antonyms | none, part, some | nothing |
| 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). | 'Everythings' as a plural form, Using 'everything' with uncountable nouns incorrectly, Confused with 'all' or 'everyone' |
| 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 'everything' in general contexts. It's suitable for conversations, written texts, and all registers, but avoid formal academic writing where specificity is required. |
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Frequently asked questions: All vs Everything
What's the difference between All and Everything?
All: Everything or everyone, without exception. Everything: all things; all that exists
Are All and Everything the same CEFR level?
All: A1, Everything: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use All and Everything interchangeably?
Not always. All and Everything 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.