Everytime or Every Time: Which Is Correct?

If you have ever hesitated over everytime or every time, you’re not alone. The two forms look almost identical, and English has plenty of familiar words that begin with every- and are written as one word, such as everyone, everything, and everywhere.

For standard English writing, however, the correct form is every time, written as two words. It means each time, on every occasion, or, in many sentences, whenever. The one-word spelling everytime is commonly seen online, but it is generally treated as a nonstandard spelling and should be avoided in formal, academic, professional, or carefully edited writing.

Every Time or Everytime: Which Is Correct?

Every time is the standard form.

Everytime is commonly used as a spelling error or informal internet form, but it is not the standard spelling you should use in ordinary English writing.

Form	Standard English?	Meaning	Example
every time	Yes	Each time; on every occasion	I smile every time I see her.
everytime	No, in standard usage	Usually intended to mean every time	I smile everytime I see her. ❌

So if you are wondering “Is it everytime or every time?”, choose every time.

Correct: She calls me every time she needs help.
Incorrect: She calls me everytime she needs help.

The important point is that every time is normally written as a two-word phrase rather than as a single compound word. Historical usage references have documented everytime as an occasional form, but the two-word spelling has remained the established standard.

What Does Every Time Mean?

Every time means each time, on every occasion, or without exception.

It describes something that happens repeatedly whenever a particular event or situation occurs.

For example:

• I get nervous every time I speak in public.
• She smiles every time she sees her children.
• We order pizza every time we watch a movie together.
• He forgets his keys every time he leaves the house.

In these sentences, every time refers to each occurrence of the situation.

Every Time Meaning in Simple English

A simple way to understand every time is:

Every time = each time something happens.

For example:

Every time I visit my grandmother, she makes tea.

This means that each time I visit my grandmother, she makes tea.

Depending on the sentence, every time can also be replaced by whenever.

Every time I hear that song, I remember school.
Whenever I hear that song, I remember school.

Both sentences express essentially the same idea.

How to Use Every Time in a Sentence

Every time can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.

At the Beginning

When every time introduces a dependent clause, it is commonly followed by a comma before the main clause.

• Every time I call, nobody answers.
• Every time it rains, the road becomes slippery.
• Every time she visits, we have dinner together.
• Every time he plays, he gives his best effort.

In the Middle

You can also place the every time clause after the main clause.

• Nobody answers every time I call.
• The road becomes slippery every time it rains.
• We have dinner together every time she visits.
• He gets excited every time his team scores.

At the End

Sometimes every time stands alone at the end of a sentence.

• That movie makes me laugh every time.
• She tells the same joke every time.
• He makes the same mistake every time.
• This song gets me every time.

Every Time Examples

Here are natural examples showing how every time works in everyday English:

1. Every time I see that picture, I laugh.
2. She checks her phone every time it rings.
3. Every time we visit the city, we discover something new.
4. He forgets his password every time he changes it.
5. I drink coffee every time I work late.
6. Every time she cooks, the whole house smells wonderful.
7. They arrive early every time.
8. Every time I hear that song, I think of my childhood.
9. The baby smiles every time her father walks into the room.
10. That joke gets me every time.

Notice that the spelling remains every time in every example.

Every Time or Everytime in a Sentence

The easiest way to recognize the correct form is to look at what you mean.

If you mean each time or whenever, use every time.

Correct Examples

• Every time I visit, the shop is busy.
• She laughs every time he tells that story.
• Every time I try to call, the line is busy.
• This song makes me emotional every time.
• He gets the answer right every time.

Incorrect Examples

In standard English, avoid writing:

• Everytime I visit, the shop is busy.
• She laughs everytime he tells that story.
• Everytime I try to call, the line is busy.
• This song makes me emotional everytime.
• He gets the answer right everytime.

The problem is not the meaning. The intended meaning is usually clear. The issue is the standard spelling.

Is Everytime a Word?

Everytime does appear in real-world writing, particularly online, in informal communication, song titles, names, or other creative contexts. However, that does not make it the standard spelling for the ordinary English phrase.

For standard English, dictionaries and usage guides generally direct writers to every time. Scribbr, for example, describes everytime as an incorrect form that should be avoided.

This is why you may encounter both forms while reading online but should still choose every time when writing.

There is also an important distinction between a form that appears in real usage and a form recommended for standard edited English. A spelling can occur frequently on the internet without being the preferred standard form.

Why Do People Write Everytime?

The confusion is understandable.

English contains many common every- compounds:

• everyone
• everything
• everywhere
• everybody
• everyday

Because these words are written together, it is easy to assume that every time should follow the same pattern.

But English spelling does not always work by applying one pattern to every related expression.

Compare:

• every day — two words when referring to each day
• everyday — one word when it is an adjective meaning ordinary or usual
• every time — two words when referring to each occasion

For example:

I exercise every day.

But:

These are my everyday shoes.

With every time, the standard spelling remains two words:

I exercise every time I visit the gym.

Every Time Grammar

Grammatically, every time is an adverbial phrase that expresses frequency or repetition.

It can introduce a clause:

Every time I visit, she makes tea.

It can also occur later in the sentence:

She makes tea every time I visit.

It can also modify an action at the end of a sentence:

That joke makes me laugh every time.

In many contexts, every time can be replaced by whenever:

Every time I see him, he smiles.

Whenever I see him, he smiles.

The exact wording can affect emphasis slightly, but the basic idea of repeated occurrence remains.

Every Time or Every Single Time

Every single time is an emphatic version of every time.

The word single adds emphasis and can suggest that something happens without exception.

Compare:

She forgets her keys every time.

She forgets her keys every single time.

The second sentence emphasizes the repetition more strongly.

Both are grammatically correct.

Every Time Synonyms

Depending on the sentence, possible synonyms or near-synonyms for every time include:

• each time
• whenever
• without fail
• without exception
• on every occasion
• every single time

The best replacement depends on the sentence.

For example:

Every time I call, she answers.

can become:

Whenever I call, she answers.

Or:

Each time I call, she answers.

But not every synonym works naturally in every context. Without fail, for example, emphasizes that something happens reliably:

She arrives early without fail.

Is Every Time One Word or Two?

Every time is two words.

This is one of the most common questions about the expression.

Write:

every time ✅

Not:

everytime ❌

A useful memory trick is to replace every time with each time.

Every time I see her, I smile.

Each time I see her, I smile.

Since each time is clearly written as two words, it can help you remember that every time is also written as two words.

“Gets Me Every Time” or “Gets Me Everytime”?

The correct expression is:

That movie gets me every time. ✅

Here, gets me means that something consistently produces an emotional reaction.

For example:

• That ending gets me every time.
• Her speech gets me every time.
• That scene makes me cry every time.
• His jokes make me laugh every time.

Writing everytime as one word is not the standard spelling.

Every Time in British English

The standard spelling every time is also used in British English.

There is no standard British spelling in which the ordinary phrase should be written everytime.

So whether you are writing American English, British English, or another standard variety of English, every time is the appropriate spelling for this expression.

Is Every Time a Formal Expression?

Yes. Every time is perfectly suitable for formal, academic, professional, and casual writing.

For example:

The experiment produced the same result every time it was repeated.

Please check the information every time you submit a form.

The system should be tested every time a major update is installed.

You do not need to replace every time with a more complicated expression simply because the writing is formal.

Common Mistakes With Every Time

Mistake 1: Writing Everytime as One Word

Incorrect:

I forget my keys everytime I leave.

Correct:

I forget my keys every time I leave.

The standard phrase is written as two words.

Mistake 2: Adding When After Every Time

A common construction is:

Every time I visit, we eat together.

You generally do not need when after every time:

Every time when I visit, we eat together. ❌

The simpler form is:

Every time I visit, we eat together. ✅

Mistake 3: Confusing Every Day With Everyday

These expressions have different grammatical functions.

Every day means each day:

I walk to work every day.

Everyday is an adjective meaning ordinary or usual:

These are my everyday shoes.

This distinction can make the spelling of every time easier to remember: not every expression beginning with every- becomes one word.

Mistake 4: Using Everytime in Professional Writing

You may see everytime in social media posts, messages, comments, or other informal online writing. That does not make it the preferred spelling.

For professional writing, use:

every time

Every Time or Whenever

Every time and whenever can often express a similar idea, but their grammatical forms are different.

Compare:

Every time I visit, we go for coffee.

Whenever I visit, we go for coffee.

Both can describe something that happens on each occasion.

Every time is particularly useful when you want to emphasize each occurrence:

She makes the same mistake every time.

Whenever can sound more concise:

She makes the same mistake whenever she uses the software.

Choose whichever sounds most natural for your sentence.

Quick Rule to Remember

If you are using the expression to mean each time, on every occasion, or whenever, write it as:

every time ✅

Not:

everytime ❌

A simple memory trick is:

Every time = each time

If you can substitute each time, keep every time as two words.

FAQs About Every Time or Everytime

Is it every time or everytime?

The standard form is every time, written as two words. Everytime is a common nonstandard spelling and should generally be avoided in careful writing.

What does every time mean?

Every time means each time, on every occasion, or without exception. It describes something that happens whenever a particular situation occurs.

Is everytime grammatically correct?

Everytime is not the standard spelling of the ordinary English phrase. Although the one-word form appears in real-world and informal online usage, standard writing uses every time.

How do you spell every time?

Spell it as every time: two separate words.

Can I use every time in a sentence?

Yes. For example:

Every time I hear that song, I smile.

Here, every time means each time.

What is a synonym for every time?

Depending on the context, synonyms or near-synonyms include each time, whenever, without fail, without exception, and on every occasion.

Is every time formal or informal?

Every time works in both formal and informal English. It is appropriate for everyday conversation, emails, academic writing, professional documents, and other standard contexts.

Is every time used in British English?

Yes. Every time is standard in British English as well as American English. The one-word spelling everytime is not a standard regional alternative.

Why do people spell every time as everytime?

People often assume it should be one word because English has words such as everyone, everything, and everywhere. The visual similarity can make everytime seem natural even though every time is the standard form.

Is “gets me every time” correct?

Yes. Gets me every time is a natural expression meaning that something produces the same emotional reaction on each occasion.

For example:

That ending gets me every time.

Conclusion

When you are choosing between everytime or every time, use every time.

It is the standard two-word expression meaning each time, on every occasion, or whenever. You can use it at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, and it works naturally in both casual and formal English.

Although everytime appears frequently in online writing, it is best treated as a nonstandard spelling rather than the standard form.

The easiest rule to remember is simple:

Every time = two words.

So write “I smile every time I see you,” not “I smile everytime I see you.”