are how many

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are how many" is not correct and does not form a usable expression in written English.
It may be intended to ask about the quantity of something, but it lacks proper structure. Example: "The question is, how many apples are there?"

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The questions are: how many will want to?

The Guardian - Opinion

Here are how many she won for directing: none.

The Guardian - Opinion

She asks how many Snowdens there are – how many contractors working as system administrators.

The Guardian

Beats are how many hip-hop songs begin; rappers write their rhymes to them.

The New Yorker

Other things that committees need to consider are how many times a year they meet.

The Guardian

Here are how many Oscars Nora Ephron won for screenwriting: none.

The Guardian - Opinion

"So if that's what readers are, how many of them are there?

The New York Times - Books

They helped, too, make us who we are: how many people in this country bear the name Smith?

The Guardian

"No matter how many there are, how many are out there doing it, they will come to see him".

The New York Times

You have to realize, no matter how talented you are, how many great players have been here before.

The New York Times - Sports

Second, of those that are, how many are worth celebrating for their acoustics as well as their physical beauty?

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reorder your sentence to use the grammatically correct form "How many are there?". For example, instead of "The questions are how many...", write "The question is, how many...".

Common error

Avoid placing the verb "are" before "how many". This creates an awkward sentence structure. Always prioritize a natural word order.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are how many" functions as part of a relative clause or question, often embedded within a larger sentence. It attempts to inquire about a numerical quantity, although its grammatical structure is incorrect. Ludwig AI notes that this phrase lacks proper structure and grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "are how many" appears frequently, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect. It serves the purpose of inquiring about a quantity, yet its structure deviates from standard English. The phrase's occurrence spans across news media, science, and wiki content, but correct alternatives like "how many are there" or "what is the quantity" should be preferred to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy. Despite its frequency, prioritizing grammatically sound alternatives will result in more effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how many are there

Reorders the phrase for better grammatical flow.

how many exist

A more concise way of asking about the number.

how many items

Specifies that the question is about number of items.

what is the quantity

Uses a more formal term for amount or number.

what number exists

Employs a more explicit word for quantity.

how much is available

Focuses on the amount, suitable for uncountable nouns.

what is the count of

More formal and precise language.

what amount is there

Focuses on a general amount, not necessarily countable.

what is the total

Focuses on the overall sum or aggregate.

what quantity is present

Emphasizes existence of an amount.

FAQs

How can I correctly ask about quantity in a sentence?

Use the phrase "how many are there" or "what is the number of" to ensure proper grammatical structure when inquiring about quantity.

Is it ever appropriate to use the phrase "are how many"?

While "are how many" appears in some sources, it's generally considered grammatically awkward. It's better to use phrases like "how many are there" for clarity.

What are some alternative ways to phrase a question about quantity?

Instead of using "are how many", consider using constructions such as "what is the quantity", "how much is available", or "what is the total" depending on the context.

What’s the difference between saying "are how many" and "how many are there"?

"Are how many" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "how many are there", which follows standard English sentence structure.