Is 'alright' all right?

[Jerba]

I don't know what your personal opinions might be, but I believe 'alright' is not an officially accepted word. I know spellcheck accepts it, but it isn't yet part of the official English language.

'Alright' is used by many people. I, naturally, never used it. I find 'all right' to be a perfectly acceptable term for all situations.

All right, let's go.
Alright, let's go.

See? I don't like the look of the second one. I play The Legend of Zelda, and I noticed that, in casual conversation, Midna, one of the main characters, says 'all right'. She never says 'alright', even though she speaks casually/sloppily all the time.

I don't think 'alright' should be a word, anyway. It's too confusing to put it in the right context. There are many cases where it isn't acceptable.

The boat tipped over, but they were all right.
The boat tipped over, but they were alright.

The kids are all right.
The kids are alright.

Isn't it too confusing? I don't think 'alright' should be/become a real word.  

[Vodou von Prettypants]

Oh, hello there, internets!

According to Diana Hacker, "alright" is not all right. It's not even a real word!

So, you're absolutely right.

biggrin

I did not see you there.

 

[iesl]

I say, "all right", but this general rule got me wondering; what about "altogether" versus "all together"?  

[Farthingale]

iesl

I say, "all right", but this general rule got me wondering; what about "altogether" versus "all together"?

The latter pair differ semantically: "altogether" refers to something ocurring in its entirely, whereas "all together" refers to a number of separate objects (or people) performing some action in synchronicity.  

[Niccea Majeare]

I use both forms under different conditions. Like...

"Alright, let's go!"

"They are all right."  

[Swell Sundae]

Eh, you're one-hundred-percent right it seems, though there are those few words that might bypass all that is grammatically correct because it's used in everyday use, like this one. (I tend to say "alright" almost all the time. 3nodding )

And then again, following this wouldn't the word "almost" be grammatically wrong too or no? eek  

[MyMyMyGirl]

I agree. It's kind of odd looking.  

[Cthulhu Eating Ye]

I use both forms as well. I believe that the use of the word "alright" is perfectly alright when used sparingly. (Yes, the irony was intended.)
Of course, it depends on your definition of "official English", but I believe some dictionaries contain the term.  

[Farrago]

It depends on the situation, but I use both terms. For example, I am talking to my family and they are arguing. I say, "You are all right," to make peace, as in, 'all of you are right'. I am asked how I have been. I say, "I'm alright." Like I said, it just depends on the situation.