I rarely

USAGE SUMMARY

"I rarely" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use "I rarely" to talk about something that happens infrequently, such as in the following example sentence: "I rarely eat sushi because I don't like the taste."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I rarely watch basketball.

The New York Times - Sports

(I rarely do).

The New York Times

"I rarely apologize".

The New York Times

And I rarely respond.

Independent

I rarely see him".

The New Yorker

I rarely got out.

The New York Times

I rarely change them.

The New Yorker

I rarely called home.

The New York Times - Magazine

"I rarely told anyone.

The Guardian - Music

I rarely answer.

The New York Times

I rarely go wrong.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I rarely" to express that something happens infrequently but not never. It's a good way to indicate a tendency without making an absolute statement.

Common error

Avoid using "I rarely" when you mean something never happens. "I rarely go to the beach" implies occasional visits, while "I never go to the beach" means you do not visit the beach. Make sure the adverb reflects the true frequency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I rarely" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the frequency of an action or state. It expresses that something does not happen often. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage as seen in multiple examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Science

15%

Huffington Post

13%

Less common in

TechCrunch

3%

The Guardian

3%

BBC

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "I rarely" is a grammatically sound and common way to express that something happens infrequently. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. Its usage spans across various contexts, primarily in News & Media and Science, showing its versatility. While "I rarely" is a reliable choice, related phrases like "I seldom" or "I don't often" can provide subtle differences in tone or emphasis. When using "I rarely", ensure it aligns with the actual frequency of the event to avoid miscommunication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I seldom

Focuses on infrequency with a slightly more formal tone.

I hardly ever

Emphasizes the near absence of an event or action.

I barely ever

Stresses the minimal occurrence of something.

I don't often

Uses a more common and informal structure to express low frequency.

I do not often

A more formal version of 'I don't often'.

I infrequently

Uses a more formal adverb to indicate low frequency.

I scarcely

Emphasizes rarity with a somewhat literary tone.

It's not often that I

Shifts the sentence structure to highlight the uncommon nature of an event.

Not often do I

Inverts the sentence structure for emphasis on the infrequency.

I occasionally don't

Highlights exceptions more prominently.

FAQs

How can I use "I rarely" in a sentence?

You can use "I rarely" to indicate that you do something infrequently. For example, "I rarely "eat fast food" because it's unhealthy".

What's a more formal way to say "I rarely"?

A more formal alternative to "I rarely" is "I seldom". For example, instead of saying "I rarely attend social events", you could say "I seldom attend social events".

Is there a difference between "I rarely" and "I hardly ever"?

While both phrases express infrequency, "I hardly ever" often suggests an even lower frequency than "I rarely". "I rarely watch TV" implies watching occasionally, while "I hardly ever watch TV" suggests watching very infrequently.

What can I say instead of "I rarely see" someone?

Depending on the context, you could say "I seldom see", "I don't often see", or "I infrequently see" someone. Each alternative conveys a similar meaning of not seeing someone often.