a little bit wrong

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a little bit wrong" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is slightly incorrect or not entirely accurate. Example: "The answer you provided is a little bit wrong; the correct figure is actually 42."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

52 human-written examples

There's something a little bit wrong with all of that.

The Guardian - Sport

"So I was a little bit wrong about that".

The New York Times

"It's just that the timing was a little bit wrong.

The New York Times - Arts

Look, I may have had my figures a little bit wrong.

Cornell University

But there was something a little bit wrong with the literature.

Yale University

It is greasy, juicy,and a little bit wrong side of the tracks.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

Since 1968 – and to this day – he has been busy in his basement home-taping an endless stream of eccentric, off-brand pop, apparently trying to copy the hits he heard on the radio and getting it all just a tiny, lovely little bit wrong.

The Guardian - Music

It's all just that little bit wrong, then – the wanton juxtaposed with the more dowdy – and seems relevant and, more importantly, no less beautiful for that.

Independent

The game will see Jesse and his friends visiting "Endercon... where things go just a little bit horrifically wrong".

The Guardian - Tech

At the level of a household or humanity writ large, our species has a well-worn habit of learning through failure, incrementally getting things a little bit less wrong each time.

The New York Times

"Around five o'clock this morning I did send a couple of text messages out to people because I sort of had convinced myself that we were going a little bit the wrong way".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a little bit wrong" to express a minor error or misjudgment without being overly critical. It's suitable when you want to soften the impact of the correction.

Common error

Avoid relying too heavily on "a little bit wrong" in your writing. While useful, overuse can make your prose sound repetitive. Vary your language with alternatives like "slightly incorrect" or "somewhat mistaken" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a little bit wrong" functions primarily as an adverbial modifier, softening the impact of the adjective "wrong". Ludwig AI indicates its use to describe something that is not entirely correct but only slightly inaccurate.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Academia

19%

Lifestyle

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Sport

8%

Opinion

8%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a little bit wrong" is a versatile and commonly used expression to indicate a minor inaccuracy or misjudgment. As highlighted by Ludwig, it functions as an adverbial modifier, softening the impact of the adjective "wrong". It’s suitable for various contexts, from news and media to academia and everyday conversation. While grammatically correct and widely accepted, it's important to avoid overuse and consider alternatives such as "slightly incorrect" or "somewhat mistaken" to maintain clarity and engagement in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly incorrect

Focuses on the inaccuracy of something, suggesting a minor deviation from being correct.

somewhat mistaken

Highlights the error in judgment or understanding, implying a degree of misinterpretation.

partially erroneous

Emphasizes the presence of errors in a specific part of something, rather than the whole.

not entirely right

Indicates that something is not completely accurate, leaving room for some level of correctness.

a bit off

A more informal way of saying something isn't quite right, suggesting a minor discrepancy.

a shade inaccurate

Implies a very slight degree of inaccuracy, almost negligible but still present.

slightly flawed

Draws attention to the imperfections or defects in something, suggesting it's not perfect.

marginally incorrect

Highlights the small degree of inaccuracy, suggesting it's barely wrong.

a touch misguided

Focuses on the error in direction or purpose, suggesting a slight misjudgment in approach.

somewhat askew

Indicates that something is out of alignment or not quite in order, implying a minor deviation from the norm.

FAQs

What does "a little bit wrong" mean?

The phrase "a little bit wrong" signifies that something is not entirely accurate or correct, but the error is relatively minor.

How can I use "a little bit wrong" in a sentence?

You can use "a little bit wrong" to describe statements, calculations, or actions that contain small inaccuracies. For instance, "The answer you provided is "a little bit wrong", the correct figure is actually 42".

Are there any synonyms for "a little bit wrong"?

Yes, you can use alternatives like "slightly incorrect", "somewhat mistaken", or "a bit off" to convey a similar meaning.

When is it appropriate to use "a little bit wrong" instead of "wrong"?

Use "a little bit wrong" when you want to soften the impact of pointing out an error. It's suitable when the mistake is minor and you don't want to sound overly critical or harsh.