a couple thousands

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a couple thousands" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "a couple of thousand" when referring to an approximate number in the thousands. Example: "The event attracted a couple of thousand attendees, making it a great success."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Kim Day, manager of aviation at Denver International Airport, said the lapse involved "a couple thousands of bags over a couple of days".

The New York Times

You settle for a couple thousands pounds (dollars, euros, etc).

TechCrunch

Either Bloomberg missed that report (to be fair, it was buried in a couple thousands words bashing Facebook PR — more on that in a second) or they weren't convinced.

TechCrunch

Metal labels within a month started dropping acts and started looking for the new Nirvana's and bands putting out records for a couple thousands dollars and selling a million.

Huffington Post

Now once you get up to a couple thousands of dollars you can get whatever you what because it won't matter now.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats had a suggestion for the Titans in August, when the team was locked in a contract dispute with running back Chris Johnson: "Take the $12 million per year, put it into your offensive line, and draft a couple 4th round RBs.

The New York Times

Ultimately you need to decide if a couple hundreds off a hot tablet is worth all the work.

TechCrunch

"If they come out heckling him, a couple three-pointers will stop that.

Los Angeles Times

"She really wore her [Chang] down on defense then was unbelievable running our offense and hitting a couple threes.

Los Angeles Times

"About 100,000 people signed up for beta, and we only had a couple tens of thousands ready to ship," he said.

HuffPost

"So maybe he's got his groove back after a couple hundred-yard games, that he's learned he could do it without it," Helton said of the hair.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "a couple of thousand" instead of "a couple thousands" for grammatical correctness. This ensures clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Don't pluralize "thousand" when it's preceded by "a couple of". The phrase refers to a quantity in the thousands, but "thousand" itself should remain singular.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a couple thousands" is intended to function as a quantifier, specifying an approximate quantity in the thousands. However, it is grammatically incorrect in standard English, according to Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a couple thousands" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI identifies it as such. The correct form is "a couple of thousand". Although some examples exist, primarily in news media and informal contexts, using the correct grammar is essential for clarity and credibility. Alternatives such as "a few thousand" or "several thousand" can also be used to express similar quantities. Always ensure the singular form "thousand" is used after "a couple of" to maintain grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a couple of thousand

Corrects the grammar by using the singular form "thousand" after "a couple of".

a few thousand

Uses "few" to indicate a small number of thousands, offering a grammatically sound alternative.

several thousand

Implies more than "a couple" but still within the lower thousands, maintaining grammatical accuracy.

approximately two thousand

Provides a more precise estimate, replacing the less formal "a couple" with "approximately two".

around two thousand

Uses "around" to indicate an approximation, similar in meaning but grammatically correct.

two or three thousand

Offers a range to specify the approximate quantity, enhancing clarity.

thousands of

More emphatic and clearly plural, indicating a large but unspecified number in the thousands.

a thousand or two

Inverts the structure for emphasis, maintaining a grammatically acceptable form.

a couple of grand

Uses slang term "grand" for thousand. This is an informal and also correct way to address "thousands".

close to two thousand

Uses 'close to' for approximation, which offers a more descriptive alternative.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say a small amount in the thousands?

The correct phrase is "a couple of thousand". Using the plural form "thousands" after "a couple of" is grammatically incorrect.

Is it ever correct to say "thousands" after "a couple of"?

No, it's not correct. Always use the singular form, like in "a couple of "thousand dollars"".

What can I use instead of "a couple thousands"?

You can use phrases like "a couple of thousand", "a few thousand", or "several thousand".

How does "a couple of thousand" differ from "thousands of"?

"A couple of thousand" refers to approximately two thousand, while "thousands of" indicates a larger, unspecified number in the thousands.