a small error of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a small error of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a minor mistake or oversight in a specific context, such as writing, calculations, or assessments. Example: "There was a small error of calculation in the final report that affected the overall results."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

But a small error of judgment, or rather, an effort that simply failed, should not be penalized.

The New York Times

For a combination of the results from the three areas, we selected earthquakes with a small error of location for each area and individual results were merged.

Earth, Planets and Space

This threshold is more permissive than the extreme speech threshold: values beyond this threshold are typically exhibited by speech, but a small error of music segments is usually present.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

In addition, the CRLB of ϕ q,0,m depends on P t, instead of B. Note also that by first-order approximation, the association between a small error of ϕ q,0,m and the resulting localization error is approximately linear.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

If the main interest had been in a small error of point estimates (low RAEmedian), but less in good overall posterior properties (low RARMISE and uniform posterior probabilities of the true value) at the same time, boosting with the negative binomial log-likelihood loss and, somewhat surprisingly, ABC with all candidate statistics, would have been preferable to boosting with the L1- and L2-loss.

Genetics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Even a smaller error of approximation can be described by using a different modulus of continuity.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

Then, for the same sparsity especially at the higher sparse level, a smaller error of reconstruction means a better model for a sparse signal.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

This is likely due to that the large subunit has more weight to contribute to the final projection, leading to a smaller error of orientation determination.

Protein & Cell

For a small error rate of, which is found on the majority of sites, only a few variant alleles lead to a Bayes factor small enough to call a variant.

Bioinformatics

Of course gymnastics remains necessarily subjective, and what one judge may construe as a small error (losing 0.1 of a point) might be seen as a large (0.5 deduction) error to another.

The Guardian - Sport

A small error in estimates of elevation, when extrapolated across a whole ice sheet, can lead to large imbalances in estimates of mass change, and thus contribution or otherwise to sea level".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing experimental results or data analysis, use "a small error of" to acknowledge minor discrepancies without undermining the overall validity of your findings. For instance, "The model predicted the outcome with a small error of 5%."

Common error

Avoid exaggerating the impact of "a small error of". Ensure that you accurately represent its influence on the overall outcome. Acknowledge the error, but contextualize it to prevent misinterpretation of the results. For example, instead of saying 'The entire project failed due to a small error of calculation', consider 'While there was a small error of calculation, it did not significantly impact the project's overall success'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a small error of" functions primarily as a modifier within a sentence, typically describing the magnitude or extent of an error. Ludwig AI suggests the phrase is correct and usable in written English. It often precedes a specific measurement or quantity to indicate the degree of inaccuracy.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

67%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a small error of" is a grammatically correct expression used to acknowledge minor inaccuracies or deviations. As Ludwig AI confirms, its use is appropriate in written English across various contexts, particularly within scientific, news, and formal business domains. While it may not be as frequent as other phrases, it serves an important function in conveying transparency and acknowledging limitations without exaggerating their impact. It is important to avoid overstating the significance of the error and to provide accurate context when using the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight mistake in

Focuses on the action of making a mistake rather than the error itself.

a minor inaccuracy in

Highlights the lack of precision or correctness in something.

a small oversight in

Emphasizes the unintentional nature of the error.

a trivial flaw in

Indicates that the error is not significant or important.

a negligible discrepancy in

Stresses the lack of noticeable difference or inconsistency.

a minimal deviation from

Highlights the act of straying slightly from a standard or expected value.

a tiny lapse in

Focuses on a temporary failure of concentration or judgment.

a fractional variation in

Emphasizes the small degree of change or difference.

a modest imprecision in

Highlights the limited lack of exactness or accuracy.

a diminutive fault in

Underscores the extremely small or unimportant nature of the flaw.

FAQs

How can I use "a small error of" in a sentence?

Use "a small error of" to acknowledge a minor inaccuracy or deviation in a specific context, such as calculations, measurements, or predictions. For example: "The device displayed the results with "a small error of" 2%".

What are some alternatives to "a small error of"?

You can use alternatives like "a minor mistake in", "a slight inaccuracy in", or "a small oversight in" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "a small error of" in formal writing?

Yes, "a small error of" is appropriate for formal writing, especially in scientific or technical contexts where precision is important. It acknowledges the existence of a minor deviation without exaggerating its significance.

How does "a small error of" differ from "a large error of"?

"A small error of" indicates a minor inaccuracy that has a limited impact, while "a large error of" suggests a significant mistake that could substantially affect the results or conclusions. The choice between the two depends on the magnitude and consequences of the error.