How to say “after all” like a native speaker
Use this to remind someone of a reason, or to say that the eventual result differs from what was expected. The surrounding sentence tells you which meaning applies.
All phrases · Small talk
Hear “after all” in real speech
Clip 1 · David Foster Wallace
This is Water · 3:19
About this video
The speaker in this commencement address, uploaded by le néant as This is Water, opens with a story about two young fish. He discusses noticing everyday realities and uses a supermarket checkout to describe routine frustration.
In context
And now, in the bar, the religious guy looks at the atheist all puzzled."Well then you must believe now," he says, "After all, here you are, alive."
The atheist just rolls his eyes. "No, man, all that was was a couple Eskimos happened to come wandering by and they showed me the way back to camp."
Clip 2 · Sir Ken Robinson
How to escape education's death valley | Sir Ken Robinson | TED · 16:25
About this video
Ken Robinson discusses education and the conditions that help learning grow. He contrasts curiosity with a culture of compliance in which teachers and children are encouraged to follow routines.
In context
and conditions under which they don't.We are after all organic creatures, and the culture of the school is absolutely essential.
Culture is an organic term, isn't it?
Clip 3 · TED-Ed
4 ways to fix your attention span - Shannon Odell · 4:28
About this video
The narrator of this TED-Ed lesson by Shannon Odell explains why attention is pulled between competing tasks. The lesson discusses research on switching computer applications and offers ways to support focus.
In context
there’s something much easier you can do right in this moment: get rid of distractions.It’s impossible to remove every distraction, after all, our own wandering minds are often the biggest culprits.
But one recent survey estimated that Americans now check their phones around 200 times a day.
When to use “after all”
- Explaining a change of plan: “The rain has stopped, so we can walk after all.”
- Reminding someone of a reason: “Let's ask Marta. After all, she lives nearby.”
Possible connected-speech patterns in “after all”
“All” often carries the main emphasis. Speakers with linking R may connect the end of “after” to the vowel in “all”.
Related phrases
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A slow line to begin with: listen to how “don’t need to” runs together, then say it at the speaker’s pace.
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