a slightly difference

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a slightly difference" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "a slight difference"? You can use "a slight difference" when comparing two or more things that are not exactly the same but have minor variations. Example: "There is a slight difference in color between the two paint samples."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Although there is a slightly difference of streamflow responses resulting from different GCMs, the future streamflow would decrease with a temperature increasing scenario (Figure 6b).

Geoenvironmental Disasters

Nevertheless, a slightly difference is observed between the mean value of stable isotopic content in groundwater and in rainwater.

Journal of Hydrology

"We may well give a slightly difference notice on the Twitter feed to the one we give to the print media, for example, where we sometimes say some matters in confidence.

TechCrunch

It is however not easy to single out a low-level cause for this difference, rather it seems to be a combined effect of a slightly difference in the distribution of reaction-degrees and degree correlations in the bipartite representation.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The obtained data in this study demonstrated a slightly differences in the thermal stabilities between the starting material, PAN and the amine-terminated PANs and an increase in the thermal stability of the antimicrobial polymers (V-X) compared to the starting materials, PAN (II) and the amine-terminated PANs (III & IV) as shown in (Table 3).

Chemistry Central Journal

The current account deficit basically reflects capital imports and exports, or, to put it a slightly different way, the difference between domestic savings and domestic investment.

Forbes

Ebrahim and Bance reviewed the short-term and long-term results of CT versus exposure in patients with social phobia and found a slightly different standardised mean difference (SMD) and standard error [SE] for the short-term outcomes in Hofmann (2004) [ 1]: -0.19 (0.27) rather then −0.28 (0.26).

BMC Psychiatry

We found this case also to be phase sensitive, but with a slightly different signal-to-pump difference than in the three-wave degenerate case.

EPJ Quantum Technology

The BT was found to be reproducible (κ 0.64) for this child population and also comparable to the BT when performed a slightly different way, with no difference in the prevalence of GJH at cut-point ≥5/9 between methods [ 20].

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

The raw difference tells a slightly different story, Democrats started with 23,551 more ballot requests over 2010, compared with 18,389 for the Republicans.

Huffington Post

This vector was also shown to be anterograde (Wickersham et al. 2013), although it may have a slightly different tropism due to differences in the transmembrane domain of the glycoprotein-packaging construct.

Brain Structure and Function

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the grammatically correct form, "a slight difference", to ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Don't let awkward phrasing undermine your message. Remember that adjectives modify nouns. Always use "slight" to describe the "difference".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a slightly difference" functions as an attempt to describe a small distinction between two or more items. However, it's grammatically incorrect, as 'slightly' is an adverb and cannot directly modify the noun 'difference'. The correct form would be "a slight difference". Ludwig AI points out the grammatical error.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a slightly difference" is a grammatically incorrect construction. Ludwig AI correctly identifies that the adjective "slight" should be used instead of the adverb "slightly" to modify the noun "difference". While the intended meaning—indicating a small distinction—is often clear from the context, using the correct phrase, "a slight difference", is essential for maintaining clarity and credibility in writing, especially in formal or professional settings. Consider using alternative phrases like "a minor difference" or "a subtle difference" to convey the intended meaning with greater precision. Always prioritize grammatical accuracy to ensure effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight difference

Grammatically correct and more common way to express a small distinction.

a minor difference

Uses a different adjective to convey the small size of the difference.

a small difference

Replaces 'slightly' with 'small', maintaining grammatical correctness.

a marginal difference

Implies the difference is barely noticeable or significant.

a negligible difference

Suggests the difference is so small it's practically unimportant.

a subtle difference

Indicates the difference is delicate and not immediately obvious.

a hardly noticeable difference

Emphasizes the difficulty in perceiving the difference.

an insignificant difference

Similar to 'negligible', highlighting the lack of importance.

a trivial difference

Conveys the difference is of little consequence.

a shade of difference

Figurative language to indicate a very fine or subtle distinction.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a slightly difference"?

The correct way to phrase it is "a slight difference". The adjective "slight" correctly modifies the noun "difference".

Is "a slightly difference" ever acceptable in formal writing?

No, "a slightly difference" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Use "a slight difference" instead.

What are some alternative phrases to "a slightly difference"?

Instead of "a slightly difference", consider using phrases like "a minor difference", "a small difference", or "a subtle difference", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

How does the meaning of "a slightly difference" compare to "a significant difference"?

"A slightly difference" (grammatically incorrect, but intending to mean a small difference) suggests a very small distinction, whereas "a significant difference" indicates a notable and important distinction.