a couple hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a couple hour" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form is "a couple of hours." Example: "I will be there in a couple of hours."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

For a couple hours.

The New York Times

A couple hours".

The New Yorker

He called me a couple hours later.

The Guardian - Arts

They might need a couple hours to come around".

The New York Times

"And lunch with clients can last for a couple hours".

The New York Times

I remember I spent a couple hours on it".

The New Yorker

After a couple hours, I left the Flamingo Bar.

The New Yorker

(Víctor González, 28) I spend a couple hours every day walking.

The Guardian

Now it's a couple hours here and there".

The New York Times - Sports

Give him a couple hours and he'll show up".

The Guardian - Books

"We are setting off in a couple hours.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct plural form, "hours", when referring to a duration of time. Saying "a couple of hours" is grammatically correct.

Common error

The most common mistake is omitting the 's' in "hours". Always remember that "couple" refers to two, hence the plural form is necessary.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a couple hour" is grammatically incorrect and doesn't function as a standard unit of time. The correct form, "a couple of hours", functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb by indicating duration. According to Ludwig, this phrase requires the plural form to be grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a couple hour" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. The correct form is "a couple of hours", which indicates a duration of approximately two hours. According to Ludwig, this correction is essential for maintaining grammatical accuracy. Remember to always use the plural form "hours" when referring to a duration of time. Alternatives like "a few hours" or "around two hours" can also be used depending on the context. Because no examples use the phrase, this leads to the conclusion that the best practice is to avoid the phrase altogether and use its corrected or alternative forms.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a couple of hours

This is the grammatically correct version of the original phrase, adding the plural 's' to 'hours'.

a few hours

Replaces "couple" with "few", indicating a small number of hours without specifying exactly two.

around two hours

Uses "around" to suggest an approximate duration of two hours.

approximately two hours

Employs "approximately" to convey an estimated duration of two hours.

about a couple of hours

Adds "about" to soften the precision and indicate an estimation.

two or three hours

Expands the range to include three hours, indicating a slightly longer but still short duration.

a short while

Uses a more general term to indicate a brief period of time, without specifying the exact duration.

a limited number of hours

Uses a more formal and less common way of saying a few hours.

within a few hours

Specifies that something will occur before a few hours pass.

a span of a couple of hours

Uses "span" to emphasize the duration or interval of time.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a couple hour"?

The correct way to express this duration is "a couple of hours". The word "hours" should always be plural when referring to a duration of time.

Are there alternatives to saying "a couple of hours"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "a few hours", "around two hours", or "approximately two hours" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "a couple hours" and "a couple of hours"?

"A couple hours" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "a couple of hours", which means approximately two hours.

How can I use "a couple of hours" in a sentence?

You can use it like this: "I'll be there in a couple of hours" or "The meeting will last a couple of hours".