play illustration of a man watching a washing machine overflow
Commonly Confused

'All over sudden' vs. 'All of a sudden'

We'll help you figure it out at once


Is the correct phrase 'all over sudden' or 'all of a sudden'? Senior Editor Emily Brewster explains.

Transcript

Sometimes a word that sounds like the right word and feels like the right word isn't actually the right word. It's an eggcorn. Something that happens sooner than expected doesn't happen "all over sudden," it happens "all of a sudden." Sudden here is an obsolete noun meaning an unexpected occurrence.

Up next

play video literally
Literally

 

A word that (literally) drives people nuts

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play alright allright video
Alright vs. All Right

 

Is 'alright' all right?

play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

play is none singular or plural video
Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

play serenity carr next to an illustration of a refrigerator with the letter d in it
Why is there a 'd' in 'fridge' but not in 'refrigerator'?

 

Thawing one of the mysteries of English