at lower rate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at lower rate" is not correct in standard written English; it should be "at a lower rate." You can use it when discussing costs, prices, or interest rates that are reduced compared to a standard or previous rate.
Example: "Customers can take advantage of our special promotion and borrow money at a lower rate this month."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Others can be at lower rate.

Cornell University

For, lady, you deserve this state, Nor would I love at lower rate.

The Guardian - Books

In Canada, new employees start at lower rate but gradually shift to the higher wage rate scale.

The New York Times

The %CCE values obtained in soil incubation study at lower rate of RP application followed the similar pattern as those values obtained in the theoretical calculation.

Geoderma

The equivalent fracture strain decreased with increasing dose level up to 0.1dpa and then decreased at lower rate, but it was still high after high dose irradiation exposure even if uniform ductility was almost zero.

Procedia Engineering

Major improvement in energy efficiency of electric power plants and transportation vehicles is needed to enable the world to meet the energy demands at lower rate of energy consumption with corresponding reduction in pollutant and CO2 emissions.

Catalysis Today

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Those same top schools can maintain their credit ratings fairly easily, and so can borrow at lower rates.

Forbes

"They need to borrow at lower rates".

The New York Times

"And they can refinance at lower rates".

The New York Times

Their first $90,000 in income is taxed at lower rates.

The New York Times

"There are new locations at lower rates," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the article "a" before "lower rate" to ensure grammatical correctness: "at a lower rate."

Common error

A common mistake is to omit the article "a" before "lower rate". Always include the article to ensure grammatically correct sentence construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at lower rate", while grammatically incorrect, is used as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb. Ludwig shows its frequent use in scientific and technical contexts to describe conditions or results occurring with reduced intensity or speed. The correct form is "at a lower rate".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "at lower rate" appears in various sources, it's considered grammatically incorrect due to the omission of the article "a". As pointed out by Ludwig AI, the correct form is "at a lower rate". This phrase functions adverbially, often used to compare and contrast rates in scientific, academic, and news contexts. To ensure grammatical correctness, always include the article "a", or consider using alternatives such as "at a reduced rate" or "at a slower pace".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at a reduced rate

Uses 'reduced' instead of 'lower', implying a decrease from a previous level.

at a decreased rate

Replaces 'lower' with 'decreased', focusing on the action of reduction.

at a slower pace

Substitutes 'rate' with 'pace', suitable when referring to speed or progress.

at a diminished rate

Employs 'diminished' to emphasize a weakening or lessening of the rate.

at a cheaper price

Replaces 'rate' with 'price', specific to discussions about cost or expense.

at a curtailed rate

Uses 'curtailed' to indicate a restriction or reduction in the rate.

at a moderated rate

Suggests a rate that has been adjusted to be less extreme or intense.

at a minimal rate

Indicates a rate that is as small as possible.

at a subsided rate

Emphasizes a rate that has lessened or calmed down over time.

at a deflated rate

Uses 'deflated' to imply a rate that has been reduced, often in an economic context.

FAQs

How to properly use the phrase "at lower rate" in a sentence?

The correct form is to include the article "a", making it "at a lower rate". For example: "You can get a loan "at a lower rate" if you have good credit".

What's the difference between "at lower rate" and "at a lower rate"?

"At lower rate" is grammatically incorrect due to the missing article "a". The correct phrase is "at a lower rate". The inclusion of "a" makes the phrase grammatically sound.

What can I say instead of "at lower rate"?

You can use alternatives like "at a reduced rate", "at a decreased rate", or "at a slower pace" depending on the context.

Is "at lower rate" considered formal or informal?

While the phrase "at lower rate" appears across different kinds of sources, omitting the article "a" is not considered good writing practice. Therefore, it is best to use its correct form, "at a lower rate" in both formal and informal contexts.