at a speed of

USAGE SUMMARY

"at a speed of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a rate of speed at which an action is taking place. For example, "The car sped away at a speed of 120mph."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Intel's top Pentium runs at a speed of 1 gigahertz.

The New York Times

The loops were rotating at a speed of 10 rpm.

Nature

The train was in fact traveling at a speed of 37 miles per hour.

Harvard University

It moves in soft terrain at a speed of 900 ft/hr (Sitek 1976).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It happens in a series of open tabs, at a speed of clicks.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It takes about three seconds at a speed of 55 m.p.h.

The New Yorker

The craft plunged into the upper atmosphere at a speed of 12,000 miles an hour.

The New York Times

Lightning fighter at a speed of 1,262 miles an hour over the North Sea.

The New York Times

During the measurements the sample was rotated at a speed of 4 s/revolution.

Nature

Excluding federal holidays, the fastest weekday: Monday, Sept. 28, at a speed of 11.7 m.p.h.

The New York Times

They traveled at a speed of about three kilometers a day.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing motion, specify units of measure (e.g., mph, km/h, m/s) to provide clarity and avoid ambiguity when using "at a speed of".

Common error

Avoid using phrases like "fast speed" or "high speed" with "at a speed of". The phrase already implies speed, so using adjectives like "fast" or "high" is redundant. For example, instead of "at a high speed of 100 mph", say "at a speed of 100 mph".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at a speed of" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs to specify the rate or velocity at which an action occurs. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and frequent usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

21%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "at a speed of" is a common and grammatically correct way to specify the rate or velocity at which something moves or operates. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s widely used across different contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Wiki sources. When using this phrase, ensure you provide clear units of measure (e.g., mph, km/h). Avoid redundancy by omitting adjectives like "fast" or "high" before "speed". Alternatives include "with a velocity of" or simply "traveling at", depending on the desired level of formality. Overall, the phrase serves to add precise, quantitative information to descriptions of movement or action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with a velocity of

Replaces 'speed' with the more technical term 'velocity', often used in scientific contexts.

moving at a rate of

Substitutes 'speed' with 'rate', emphasizing the measure of change over time.

traveling at

A more concise alternative, omitting "a speed of" for brevity.

with a pace of

Replaces 'speed' with 'pace', often used to describe the rhythm of an activity.

at a velocity equaling

Emphasizes equality of speed to another value.

proceeding with a rate of

Formalizes the phrase using 'proceeding' and 'rate', often found in technical writing.

exhibiting a pace of

Emphasizes the observed rhythm, often applied to behaviors or natural processes.

achieving a rate of

Highlights the attainment of a specific speed, indicating performance or capability.

running at a clip of

Uses a more informal expression, 'clip', to denote speed.

progressing at a tempo of

Relates 'speed' to 'tempo', often used in contexts involving rhythmic or timed activities.

FAQs

How can I use "at a speed of" in a sentence?

Use "at a speed of" to describe the velocity at which something is moving or operating. For example: "The car was traveling "at a speed of" 70 mph".

What are some alternatives to "at a speed of"?

You can use phrases like "with a velocity of", "moving at a rate of", or simply "traveling at" as alternatives to "at a speed of", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "at a speed of" or "with a speed of"?

"At a speed of" is the more common and idiomatic expression. "With a speed of" is grammatically correct, but less frequently used.

What part of speech is "at a speed of"?

"At a speed of" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or noun by indicating the rate of movement or operation.