Everyone vs. Every One | Difference, Examples & Quiz
Everyone and every one are pronounced the same but have different meanings.
- Everyone (one word) is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everybody.” It’s pronounced with the stress on the first syllable only: [ev-ry-one].
- Every one (two words) is a phrase used to refer to each individual or thing in a group, usually followed by “of.” It’s pronounced with the stress on the first and third syllables: [ev-ry-one].
| Examples: Everyone in a sentence | Examples: Every one in a sentence |
|---|---|
| Everyone except Joe attended the concert. | Every one of the phones has a camera. |
| Not everyone enjoys reading poetry. | Every one of Jill’s brothers is in the army. |
What does everyone mean
Everyone is an indefinite pronoun meaning the same as “everybody.” It’s treated as a singular pronoun, so it’s always used with a singular verb form. “Everyone” is only used to refer to people, not things.
- Everyone are invited to the wedding.
- Everyone is invited to the wedding.
- Everyone are going to soccer practice.
- Everyone is going to soccer practice.
What does every one mean
Every one is a phrase used to refer to each individual or thing in a group, not the group as a whole. It’s always used with a singular verb form and is typically followed by a phrase starting with the preposition “of.” It can refer to people or to things.
Every one of the students did well in the exam.
- If the sentence still makes sense, every one is the correct phrase to use.
- If not, you might mean everyone.
And bear in mind that if what comes next is a phrase starting with “of,” you probably need every one.
Worksheet: Every one vs. everyone
You can test your understanding of the difference between “every one” and “everyone” with the worksheet below. Fill in either “every one” or “everyone” in each sentence.
- Janet is very friendly. She says “hello” to _______ she meets.
- I’ve read _______ of the books in the series.
- _______ in the office eats lunch at a nearby restaurant.
- _______ of my friends has a dog.
- Does _______ understand what I mean?
- Janet is very friendly. She says “hello” to everyone she meets.
- “Everyone” is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everybody.”
- I’ve read every one of the books in the series.
- “Every one” is a phrase used to refer to each individual or thing in a group.
- Everyone in the office eats lunch at a nearby restaurant.
- Every one of my friends has a dog.
- “Every one” is typically followed by a phrase starting with the preposition “of.”
- Does everyone understand what I mean?
- The indefinite pronoun “everyone” is correct here.
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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
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Ryan, E. (2023, March 11). Everyone vs. Every One | Difference, Examples & Quiz. Scribbr. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/commonly-confused-words/everyone-vs-every-one/
