play no Image
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 his or her
Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

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

play video hopefully
Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

play alt-5db61f2bd1cc5
How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

 

Is there one standard way?

play contractions
On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.