The need to thank a group of people is common. It’s a way to acknowledge the hard work others have done. However, when doing so, is it “Thanks, everybody” or “Thanks, everyone”?
Typically, “Thanks, everyone” is the better option because it is a little more formal and fits more situations without disrespect. However, grammatically both “Thanks, everybody” and “thanks, everyone” are correct and are a way to offer gratitude to a group of people.
This article will cover the use of these expressions as well as their grammatical function, so please keep reading.
Is It Grammatically Correct to Say “Thanks Everybody” or “Thanks Everyone”?
It is grammatically correct to say either term as a minor sentence or interjection. Still, “Thanks, everyone” is typically for casual to semi-formal situations, while we should limit “Thanks, everybody” to more informal ones.
Both “everyone” and “everybody” are indefinite pronouns that are synonymous in meaning, with the latter being informal (source). Because you are addressing a group of people directly, “Thanks, everyone” often functions as a minor sentence.
There is no need to specify the subject since both the speaker and addressee understand that the speaker is the subject (I).
In addition to its function as a minor sentence, we can also use it in a larger sentence with the preposition “for” to indicate purpose.
What Does “Thanks Everybody” Mean?
“Thanks, everybody” combines the plural noun “thanks” with the indefinite pronoun “everybody” to mean “I give thanks to all of you.” Thus, we use “Thanks, everybody” to show gratitude for a group of people.
As a noun, “thanks” is a grateful acknowledgment of some benefit or favor. The noun comes from the verb “to thank,” meaning to show gratitude (source).
The indefinite pronoun “everybody” is a compound word combining “every” and “body.” It refers to those receiving the speaker’s gratitude and is synonymous with “all” and “everyone.” Essentially, “everybody” means each person within a specific group (source).
What Does “Thanks Everyone” Mean?
“Thanks, everyone” also means “I give thanks to each person,” only “everyone” is not informal. Generally speaking, forms containing -body like “anybody” or “somebody” are more informal, while those containing -one are not.
How Do You Use “Thanks Everybody”?
“Thanks, everybody” is an expression of gratitude that you would apply to a group of people in an informal, more relaxed environment. You can use it as a standalone expression or as part of a larger sentence describing what you are thankful for.
Note the following examples of how to use “thanks, everybody”:
- Thanks, everybody!
- Thanks, everybody, for these presents!
- I really appreciate these presents, so thanks, everybody!
If we follow “Thanks” with either “everybody” or “everyone,” we must either include a comma between them as a direct address or insert the preposition “to” between each word (source).
It can be a standalone expression, or we can place it at the beginning or end of a full sentence. Typically, it helps to use it in a full sentence, which conveys greater sincerity since you’re specifying what you are grateful for.
Any of these options are grammatically correct as long as your reader or listener understands the context and what you are grateful for. Thus, it’s best to use the expression on its own when responding to a situation. Otherwise, “Thanks, everybody” alone is too ambiguous.
When Can You Use “Thanks Everybody”?
You can use “Thanks, everybody” for informal situations to express gratitude for something a group of people did. Some specific examples may include family gatherings and holidays.
One example of when to use “thanks everybody” is during holidays where family and friends exchange gifts — for example, during Christmas after everyone has opened their presents.
Another example may be at a birthday party after the child has opened all their gifts from their friends. Then, they can express their gratitude to their friends collectively by saying, “Thanks, everybody.”
A final example may be after a group of friends and families have helped take care of a sick community member. They cooked food, cleaned the house, and comforted the sick person as a group. After recovering, the person may say, “Thanks, everybody, for taking care of me.”
In What Context Can You Use “Thanks Everybody”?
Contexts to use “Thanks, everybody” range widely. In general, they are informal group contexts, meaning friends and family. Additionally, the context should consist of a need to express gratitude to at least three people.
The important part of the context in using “thanks everybody” is the group consists of at least three people. There are other ways of thanking one and two people that are more specific to those contexts, such as “Thank you both.”
The second requirement to use “Thanks, everybody” properly is an informal setting, such as parties, recitals, or holidays where a group of family or friends are in attendance.
In summary, “Thanks, everybody” is a more relaxed way of showing gratitude for a group of people you have a more intimate relationship with.
Using “Thanks Everybody” in a Full Sentence
Using “thanks, everybody” in a full sentence requires you to add a subject and verb and to offset “everybody” with commas. Otherwise, you will need the preposition “to,” as in “I give my thanks to everybody.” You can also add the preposition “for” to describe what a group did to earn your gratitude.
Here are a few example sentences using commas:
- I offer my thanks, everybody, for taking care of me.
- I truly am grateful, so I give you my thanks, everybody, for helping me.
Here are a few example sentences using the preposition “to”:
- I offer my thanks to everybody for taking care of me.
- I truly am grateful, so I give my thanks to everybody for helping me.
As a minor sentence or interjection, it can be at the beginning of a sentence or follow a conjunction in the middle or at the end of a sentence.
Here are a few examples:
- Thanks, everybody, for taking care of me.
- I really appreciate the help, so thanks, everybody.
- I truly am grateful, so thanks, everybody, for helping me.
We can also form the sentence as an imperative:
- I really appreciate the help, so please accept my thanks, everybody.
How Do You Use “Thanks Everyone”?
Grammatically, we can use “Thanks, everyone” the same way as “Thanks, everybody.” Again, “everybody” and “everyone” are synonyms meaning “every person.” However, “Thanks, everyone” indicates gratitude somewhat more formally to a group of people.
When Can You Use “Thanks Everyone”?
“Thanks, everyone” works for casual conversations and semi-formal ones, such as school dances, a sweet sixteen, or when referencing people you are not as familiar with. Often, the formality of the situation makes it even more critical to establish the larger context of your gratitude (source).
As with “Thanks, everybody,” to use “Thanks, everyone” properly, you must be expressing gratitude for a group of three or more people. Otherwise, using “everyone” is incorrect. Also, remember that “Thanks, everyone” is still somewhat informal compared to “Thank you, everyone.”
In What Context Can You Use “Thanks Everyone”?
While you can use it in casual conversation, “Thanks, everyone” is the best option for semi-formal contexts or situations where you don’t know the people as well. Examples of semi-formal situations would include business emails, school dances, and big family celebrations.
For example, in business emails to your coworkers that you may not have a strong connection with, “Thanks everyone” might be more appropriate.
Also, at big family celebrations, it is common for the guest of honor to give a speech. They may want to thank all the people that helped them prepare. However, because the celebration is full of many familiar people, using a semi-formal “Thanks, everyone” is acceptable.
Another example would be at a school dance where the principal would like to thank the parents that helped set up and plan the dance. Unfortunately, there are too many parents to acknowledge individually, and they are not familiar with the principal. So, the principal would say “Thanks, everyone” to remain semi-formal.
Because “Thanks, everyone” is more formal than “Thanks, everybody” but not overly formal in itself, we can use it in almost any context. Thus, “Thanks, everyone” is the safer option of the two. Still, “Thank you, everyone” is better. For More on this expression, check out “Can I Say ‘Thank You, Everyone’?”
Using “Thanks Everyone” in a Full Sentence
The same rules apply to “thanks everyone” in that we must add a subject and a verb to form a complete sentence as well as “to.” To establish context, you can follow “Thanks to everyone” with a prepositional phrase beginning with “for.”
Here are some sentence examples:
- I offer my thanks to everyone for helping on this project.
- I give my thanks to everyone for the gifts.
As a part of a minor sentence, we typically use “thanks, everyone” at the beginning and follow it with the larger context of our gratitude.
Here are some sentence examples:
- Thanks, everyone, for helping with this project.
- Thanks, everyone, for the gifts.
We can also form the sentence as an imperative:
- I really appreciate your help, so please accept my thanks, everyone.
When Not to Use “Thanks Everybody” or “Thanks Everyone”
You must not use “Thanks, everybody” or “Thanks, everyone” when the group of people is less than three. It’s also best to avoid either phrase in a very formal setting or in academic writing since we generally perceive “thanks” as less formal than “thank you.”
Depending on the gravity of the situation, you may wish to name several people individually instead. Something as brief as “Thanks, everyone” could come across as too flippant (source).
What Can You Use Instead of “Thanks Everybody” or “Thanks Everyone”?
Alternatives for “Thanks, everyone” or “Thanks, everybody” are endless. They range from a rustic “Thanks y’all” to a very formal “I am forever in your debt.”
The most straightforward way to improve either expression is to use “Thank you” instead of “Thanks.” You could also say “I thank you all” or “I thank all of you” (source).
Another option is to use the words “appreciate” or “appreciation,” as in “I’d like to express my appreciation to all of you.” For a more conversational and informal tone, you could simply say, “I appreciate it.”
Yet another option is to use the words “grateful” or “gratitude.” For example, you could say, “I am most grateful for your support” or “Please accept my deepest gratitude.”
Expressions of Gratitude as Minor Sentences
English has many expressions of gratitude that we form as minor sentences. These include simple declarative statements, imperatives, and interjections where we expect the recipient to understand that we are the subject.
Since they do not contain a subject and often do not include a verb, minor sentences are not true full sentences (source).
Many expressions of gratitude that include the word “Thanks” or “Thank you” function either as abbreviated declarative statements — omitting the “I” — or as a standalone interjection, such as “Thanks!” or ‘Thank you!” Interjections are emotional words and phrases that may seem sudden or grammatically disconnected.
Other expressions of gratitude function as imperative clauses using an imperative verb, like “Please accept my thanks.” Such expressions politely ask the recipient to accept their gratitude.
For more expressions of gratitude as minor sentences, please read “Is It Correct to Say ‘Thanks a Lot’? “Is It Correct to Say ‘Thanks a Ton’?” “Is It Correct to Say, ‘Thanks for Checking on Me’?” “Is It Correct to Say, ‘Thanks a Million’?” and “Is It Correct to Say, ‘Thanks for All You Do’?”
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are a type of pronoun we can use to refer to people, places, or things in a general way. Such pronouns typically end with -one, -body, -thing, or -where. We use pronouns ending in -body or -one to refer to people in a general way (source).
In contrast, definite pronouns refer to a specific noun such as “her,” “his computer,” or “her computer.”
Typical indefinite pronouns ending in -one include “anyone,” “no one,” “someone,” and “everyone.” These are all slightly more formal than their counterparts “anybody,” “nobody,” “somebody,” and “everybody.” This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
For more on indefinite pronouns, please read “Is It Correct to Say ‘Each and Everyone of You’?” and “Everyone Is or Everyone Are: Which Is Correct?”
Final Thoughts
“Thanks, everybody” and “Thanks, everyone” are interchangeable in grammatical function and meaning, but “Thanks, everyone” is a little more formal. As a result, you would most often use “Thanks, everyone” with those you are less familiar with and “Thanks, everybody” among friends and family.