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

 

Is there one standard way?

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play contractions
On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

play merriam-webster eggcorns title page
What Is an Eggcorn?

 

And how did it get that name?

play serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained

 

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

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

 

Or both? Or neither?