an one time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an one time" is not correct in written English.
The correct form is "at one time," which is used to refer to a specific point in the past. Example: "At one time, I believed that I could achieve anything I set my mind to."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Although this is an one time process for the training of each codebook, it is time consuming to tune the codebooks by changing some parameters.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But a one time $5 credit?

TechCrunch

This is a one time (lifetime) requirement.

University of Chicago

That was a one time thing, Cherry.

TechCrunch

Or just a one time slip up?

TechCrunch

This is not a one time allowance.

Huffington Post

"This is on a one-time event.

TechCrunch

“Fortis is an ancillary effect, a one-time thing.

Forbes

The FBI reportedly paid an unnamed independent security contractor an one-time fee for the information on the security exploit, which evidently was all it needed to crack the phone.

TechCrunch

The FBI reportedly paid an unnamed independent security contractor an one-time fee for the information on the security exploit, which evidently was all it needed to crack the phone.

TechCrunch

A bonus is a one-time temporary increase in income.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "a one-time" or "one-time" when referring to something that happens only once. Avoid using "an one time" as it is grammatically incorrect.

Common error

Avoid using the article "an" before "one" because "one" begins with a "w" sound. The correct article to use is "a". So, instead of writing "an one-time event", write "a one-time event".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an one time" is grammatically incorrect. It attempts to function as an adjective modifying a noun, but violates basic article usage rules. The correct form is either "a one-time" or "one-time". As Ludwig AI states, the correct form is “at one time,” which is used to refer to a specific point in the past.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

34%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an one time" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. The accurate way to express a singular occurrence is by using "a one-time" or "one-time". Consider context-appropriate alternatives such as "once", "previously", or "at one time" for better clarity and correctness. As Ludwig AI highlights, using "at one time" refers to a point in the past. While sources like The New York Times and TechCrunch may contain the phrase, it is advised to use the grammatically correct alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one-time

Corrects the grammar by hyphenating and using "one" as an adjective.

a one-time

Corrects the grammar by adding the article "a" before the adjective.

once

Replaces the phrase with a single word meaning 'formerly'.

at one time

Uses a prepositional phrase indicating a specific point in the past.

formerly

A more formal synonym for 'once'.

previously

Indicates something that occurred before.

in the past

A general phrase referring to a time before the present.

on one occasion

Emphasizes a single instance of something happening.

a single time

Highlights the singularity of an event.

just once

Emphasizes that something happened only one time.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say something happened only once?

You can say it was "a one-time event" or simply that it happened "once".

What can I say instead of "an one time"?

The correct alternatives include "a one-time", "one-time", or "formerly", depending on the context.

Is "an one time" grammatically correct?

No, "an one time" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "a one-time" because "one" has a 'w' sound at the beginning.

How do I use "one-time" in a sentence?

Use "one-time" as an adjective before a noun, like in the sentence, "This is "a one-time offer"".