at the last letter

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at the last letter" is not commonly used in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in contexts where you are referring to something related to the final letter of a word or sequence. Example: "When you reach the end of the word, please focus on the last letter."

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Rob looked at the last letter more narrowly.

The New Yorker

This thing has to be able to tell whether I'm looking at the last letter of a sentence or the asterisk above it; that's probably more than you can ask of a pair of tiny bezel cameras with fixed-focus lenses.

TechCrunch

Sequencing starts at the last letter of the molecule that connects to the DNA (the linker), which is known, thus enabling the translation of the whole read from color space into letter space.

Bioinformatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Look at the last letters of the word: The key to correctly pluralizing nouns is to look at the last one or two letters of the word you wish to pluralize, as this will provide a clue to the correct ending.

WikiHow

Last year the last letter to be written on the vessel sold for £119,000 at auction.

BBC

This seemed to work at first, with the the last letter matching up with SERENA Williams, but none of the other crossers would match.

The New York Times

Write your title in between you line with the first letter at the line on the left (assuming that is how you read/write. ) and the last letter at the second line on the right.

WikiHow

She will, with nothing more to support her than these phantoms, appear on Dec. 11 in "The Last Letter" at the Lucille Lortel Theater.

The New York Times

They work nicely for smiles, winks, and cries:*-( represents crying, whereas :-D shows laughter. Some words with "ck" or "ing" at the end can have the last letter removed. Rock would be roc and running would be "runnin". You can remove the ending "e" in a lot of words. Love-lov. Love-lov. Move-mov Move-mov

WikiHow

John McCain made no attempt at all, pronouncing the "R" like the last letter of "Budweiser".

The Economist

Similar scenarios may occur in case of an insertion of a letter at the beginning of u i which is identical to the last letter of s a, as well as in cases of insertions and deletions at the end of u i of letters identical to the first letter of s b.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing coding or genetics, use "at the last letter" to accurately pinpoint the concluding character in a sequence or string.

Common error

Avoid using "at the last letter" when "final letter" or "end letter" are more direct and commonly understood. "At the last letter" can sound overly verbose in general writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at the last letter" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun, typically indicating the position or characteristic of something related to the final letter of a word or sequence. Ludwig AI's analysis points to its use in specifying a particular aspect or detail.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Wiki

33%

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "at the last letter" is a prepositional phrase used to specify the concluding character within a word or sequence. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically acceptable but not very common, with use cases spanning from technical instructions to general language analysis. While generally neutral, consider alternatives like "final letter" or "end letter" for greater clarity and conciseness. Ludwig's examples highlight its utility in contexts requiring precision, such as genetic coding or linguistic dissection. Ludwig AI also suggests it is more commonly found in Wiki, News & Media and Science contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

final letter

Replaces the preposition "at the last" with the adjective "final", directly modifying "letter".

end letter

Uses "end" as an adjective to describe the concluding letter.

last character

Substitutes "letter" with the broader term "character", which could include symbols or numbers.

concluding letter

Replaces "last" with "concluding", emphasizing the letter's role in bringing something to a close.

terminal letter

Uses "terminal" to denote the letter at the end, often used in technical contexts.

ultimate letter

Employs "ultimate" to signify the final letter in a sequence.

final character

Combines "final" with "character" for a broader scope than just letters.

endmost letter

Uses "endmost" to emphasize the position of the last letter.

at the tail letter

Replaces "last" with "tail", creating a more descriptive image of the ending.

letter at the end

Rephrases to highlight the letter's position at the end of a word or sequence.

FAQs

How can I use "at the last letter" in a sentence?

You can use "at the last letter" when referring to the final character in a word or sequence. For instance, "Check the axisymmetry based on the last letter".

What's a simpler way to say "at the last letter"?

Alternatives include "final letter" or "end letter". These are generally more concise and widely understood.

When is "at the last letter" most appropriate?

This phrase is suitable when precision is needed, such as in technical documentation, coding instructions, or genetic analysis. The alternative "final character" may be more appropriate when not referring only to letters.

Is "at the last letter" formal or informal?

The phrase tends to lean towards a neutral register. For more formal contexts, "final letter" may be preferred. For very informal situations, consider rephrasing for greater clarity.