One Word or Two? Body, One, Place, Where Words, and Prepositions
One Word or Two
Rulebase Summary
Several groups of words follow predictable patterns for one-word vs two-word usage.
Body words, one words, place words, and where words each have a consistent rule: the one-word form is an indefinite pronoun, while the two-word form separates the adjective from the noun or pronoun. For preposition pairs, the key distinction is whether movement is implied. When 'of' follows, the two-word form is always required.
Some forms are always wrong — 'noone' is never correct, and substandard variants like 'anywheres' should be avoided.
Examples
A. I didn't see noone at the party.
A. I didn't see no one at the party. (or: anyone)
'Noone' is never correct. Always 'no one' (two words).
A. He went in to the bank via the side door.
A. He went into the bank via the side door.
Movement from outside to inside — use 'into' (one word).
A. Every one participated in the meeting.
A. Everybody participated in the meeting. (or: Everyone)
'Everyone/everybody' as indefinite pronoun = one word. 'Every one' = two words when followed by 'of.'
Transcript Notes
For body words, the difference can sometimes be picked up only by the intonation of the speaker. For 'one' words, the key test is: can 'of' follow it? If 'of' follows, use two words (any one of them, every one of the checks). For preposition pairs, the key distinction is whether movement is implied (into/onto = movement) or the words serve separate grammatical functions (in to = 'in' as part of 'came in' + 'to' as part of an infinitive).
Style Guide References (23)
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