are not however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are not however" is not correct as it stands and needs restructuring to be usable in written English.
It can be used when contrasting two ideas, but it should be rephrased for clarity, such as "are not, however," or "however, are not." Example: "The results are not, however, what we expected."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

They are not, however, accurate.

The New York Times

They are not, however, perfect.

The Economist

They are not, however, very happy.

The Economist

They are not, however, diseaseproof or bulletproof.

The New York Times

They are not, however, well categorized.

The New York Times - Science

These are not, however, books for adults.

The New York Times

They are not, however, all the same.

The Guardian - Books

Wild cod are not, however, extinct.

The New York Times - Magazine

They are not, however, anything resembling friends.

The New York Times - Sports

We are not, however, of this opinion.

The Guardian

The city and state are not, however, powerless.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to use "however" as an interrupter, always surround it with commas (e.g., "They are not, however, permitted.") to ensure correct grammatical structure.

Common error

Avoid placing "however" directly after "not" without commas. This disrupts the flow and violates standard English grammar. Instead, use "not, however,".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are not however" is intended to function as a contrasting conjunction, aiming to introduce a statement that opposes or qualifies a previous one. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically incorrect. To achieve the intended meaning, the phrase requires restructuring, typically by separating "however" with commas.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Encyclopedias

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "are not however" appears frequently across various sources, it is considered grammatically incorrect and requires restructuring. As highlighted by Ludwig AI, the correct usage involves separating "however" with commas (e.g., "are not, however,"). For clarity and grammatical accuracy, alternative phrases such as "however, they are not" or "they are not though" are recommended. The phrase's presence in news, encyclopedias, and scientific articles suggests a neutral register, but writers should aim for greater precision in formal writing by using the corrected forms.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

however, they are not

Inverts the order to place "however" at the beginning, creating a clearer contrast.

they are not, however

Separates "however" with commas for correct grammatical structure and emphasis.

they are not though

Replaces "however" with "though" for a less formal, yet grammatically sound contrast.

but they are not

Uses "but" for a direct contrast, simplifying the sentence structure.

yet they are not

Employs "yet" to indicate a contrast that is somewhat surprising.

nevertheless, they are not

Replaces "however" with "nevertheless" to introduce a stronger contradiction.

still, they are not

Uses "still" to show that something remains the same despite a previous statement.

they simply are not

Adds "simply" for emphasis that something is definitely not the case.

in contrast, they are not

Uses "in contrast" to explicitly highlight a difference.

on the contrary, they are not

Replaces "however" with "on the contrary" to introduce an opposing viewpoint.

FAQs

What's the correct way to use "however" to express contrast?

To correctly use "however" to express contrast, ensure it is set off by commas, like this: "They are not, "however", available."

How can I rephrase "are not however" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, replace "are not however" with phrases like "nevertheless, they are not" or "notwithstanding, they are not".

What are some common alternatives to "are not however" in informal writing?

In informal contexts, consider using alternatives such as "but they are not" or "they are not though".

Is there a difference in meaning between "are not, however" and "however, they are not"?

While both phrases are grammatically correct and express contrast, "however, they are not" places more emphasis on the contrast at the beginning of the sentence, whereas "are not, however" interjects the contrast mid-sentence.