apiece

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "apiece" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that something is being distributed or allocated to each individual in a group, often in terms of quantity or price. Example: "The tickets cost $20 apiece, so we need to budget accordingly for the group."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In the daytime, she sends her older children out to hawk plastic bags of water for five naira (2p) apiece – they need to sell 40 to afford a tube of toothpaste.

The Guardian

The difference really comes in the marinades, which range from the wonderfully simple – Rosemary Brissenden's garlic, ginger and light soy sauce version in South East Asian Food – to the fiendishly complex: Vongerichten's involves 11 ingredients, David Thompson's Thai Street Food and Saveur magazine10 apiece, almost all of which require toasting or chopping and grinding before use.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

England's top three bowlers, Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, took 70 wickets between them, each at under 30 runs apiece, while their Australian equivalents managed 52.

The Guardian - Sport

In 1903, revelations about Poltpalingada's fate sparked a public inquiry that revealed sordid details about the illicit trade in body parts (skeletons £10 apiece) that flourished in Ramsay Smith's morgue.

The Guardian

It seemed that as soon as the game was tied at one goal apiece, it was tied at again at two goals each.

The Guardian - Sport

Before bed, Por took us on a night safari where we floated silently past shy gaur – tragically, the heads of these endangered bison can earn poachers £2,000 apiece.

The Guardian - Travel

Major League Baseball came in second at 46%, followed by the NBA (37%), golf (23%), the NHL and boxing (22% apiece).

The Guardian - Sport

I think 24 of the records so far have been by Aussie artists and QOTSA, Disclosure, Bliss N Eso, Bring Me the Horizon, Illy and Andy Bull have a pair of entries apiece.

The Guardian

That coincided with Tsonga's best phase of the match as the Frenchman broke back for 4-4 before taking the tie-break 7-1 to level the match at one set apiece.

The Guardian - Sport

The three other parties would split the remaining six equally – with two seats apiece.

The Guardian

Ziebell, Lindsay Thomas, Shaun Higgins and Drew Petrie kicked two goals apiece as North increased their lead at every break.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "apiece" to clearly indicate that a cost, quantity, or other attribute applies to each individual item or person within a group. This eliminates ambiguity about whether a total figure is being referenced.

Common error

Avoid using "apiece" when referring to a single item. "Apiece" implies a distribution among multiple entities; using it with singular nouns is grammatically incorrect. For example, instead of saying "This item costs $10 apiece", when only talking about one item, just say "This item costs $10".

Linguistic Context

The adverb "apiece" functions primarily to specify individual distribution or cost within a group. It clarifies that a particular attribute applies to each item or person separately, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

10%

Less common in

Sport

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "apiece" is an adverb used to indicate that something is distributed or allocated individually to each member of a group. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used. It is particularly useful in contexts where clarity about individual costs or quantities is crucial, maintaining a neutral tone suitable for both formal and informal writing. While alternatives like ""each"" exist, "apiece" provides a distinct emphasis on individual distribution, coming mainly from News & Media and Formal & Business contexts. Remember to avoid using it with singular nouns to maintain grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

each

Replaces "apiece" with a simpler, more common word for indicating distribution to individuals.

per unit

Focuses on the cost or quantity associated with a single item.

individually

Emphasizes the separate and distinct nature of each item's allocation.

for each one

Highlights the distributive aspect, specifying that something is intended for every member of a set.

for every item

Similar to "per unit" but could apply when not necessarily pricing something.

to each person

Focuses on the recipient of the distribution.

for every single one

Emphasizes that no one will be missed.

respectively

Indicates a one-to-one correspondence between items and recipients in order.

a pop

An informal way of saying "apiece", mainly used for pricing.

distributed among

Indicates how something will be spread among a group of elements

FAQs

How do I use "apiece" correctly in a sentence?

"Apiece" is used to specify that a cost, quantity, or other attribute applies individually to each member of a group. For example, "The tickets cost $20 "each"" or "The team members scored two goals "respectively"".

What are some alternatives to using "apiece"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as ""each"", "per unit", or "individually" to convey a similar meaning to "apiece".

Is it appropriate to use "apiece" in formal writing?

Yes, "apiece" is appropriate for formal writing. It's a clear and concise way to indicate individual distribution or cost. According to Ludwig AI, this term is frequently used in formal contexts.

What's the difference between "each" and "apiece"?

While ""each"" and "apiece" are often interchangeable, "apiece" tends to emphasize the distributive aspect more strongly, especially when dealing with quantities or costs. If you want to replace "apiece" in most contexts, you can do so with ""each"".