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 ending a sentence with a preposition
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

play calendar that says day today
Is It 'day today' or 'day-to-day'?

 

What about Day Tomorrow?

play alright allright video
Alright vs. All Right

 

Is 'alright' all right?

play how to use a dictionary
How to Use a Dictionary

 

The best way to find information in the dictionary

play video schwa
The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.