barely no

USAGE SUMMARY

"barely no" is not a grammatically correct phrase.
It should instead be written as "barely any." For example: "I barely have any money left in my wallet."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

"If you can choose between a place with barely no electricity and a place with floor heating and air conditioning, I can understand," he said.

The New York Times

There was a roar of cheering at the high points of Cameron's speech – and barely no jeering, even during the obligatory utterances of praise, destined for the shires, for other soldiers in other places.

The Guardian

Barely no mention of the iPhone SDK.

TechCrunch

In addition, barely no residues and no critical dimensional loss could be found with this etch condition.

Surface and Coatings Technology

(This is the exact opposite of Apple, which makes barely no money from its equivalent iTunes store).

TechCrunch

Compared to PR-VSM baseline system, the computational cost increases about 1.5 times for the relative SSR and barely no increases for the functional SSR and perturbational SSR.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Mr. Garcetti responded with a barely audible "no".

The New York Times

The effort left him spent, and he floated, barely conscious, no longer certain what he should be doing.

The New Yorker

In a 45-country study by ProCon.org, 21 countries have barely to no restrictions of any type on felon voting.

The Guardian - Opinion

Now, "yes" voters (52%) barely outnumber "no" voters (48%)—despite a campaign in which the leaders of all main parties agreed that it would be wrong for Britain to leave the EU.

The Economist

"I barely slept, no more than two hours, and I was always nervous and afraid for my family back in Tibet," said Kelsang, who asked that his last name not be published because he feared the family would be harmed.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "barely no" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "hardly any" or "almost none" to maintain clarity and credibility.

Common error

A common mistake is to use "barely" with another negative word like "no", creating a double negative. While sometimes understood, it's grammatically incorrect and can lead to misinterpretations. Replace it with "barely any" or a similar phrase for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely no" functions as a quantifier, attempting to express a minimal amount or near absence of something. However, due to its grammatical structure, it is considered incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, a more appropriate alternative would be "barely any."

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Science

46%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "barely no" appears in various contexts, including news and science, it is grammatically incorrect. It attempts to express a minimal quantity or near absence, but should be replaced with grammatically sound alternatives like "barely any", "hardly any", or "almost none". Ludwig AI recommends avoiding "barely no" in formal writing to maintain clarity and credibility. Opting for correct alternatives ensures effective communication and avoids potential misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Hardly any

Replaces "barely no" with a grammatically correct phrase expressing a small quantity.

Almost none

Similar meaning, indicating a near absence of something.

Virtually no

Emphasizes the near non-existence of something.

Scarcely any

Indicates that there is very little of something.

Just about no

Informal, but emphasizes the lack of something.

Next to no

Suggests a quantity so small it's negligible.

Practically none

Implies that for all practical purposes, something is absent.

Barely any

Corrects the grammar of the original phrase.

Slightly none

Replaces “barely” with an adjective indicating the degree.

Minimally any

Replaces "barely" with an adverb indicating the degree.

FAQs

Is "barely no" grammatically correct?

No, "barely no" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing would be "barely any" or alternatives such as "hardly any".

What does "barely no" mean?

While grammatically incorrect, "barely no" is typically intended to convey that there is very little or almost none of something. It's better to use clearer phrases like "almost none" to avoid confusion.

What can I say instead of "barely no"?

You can use alternatives like "hardly any", "virtually no", or "scarcely any" depending on the context. Always aim for grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Is there a difference between "barely no" and "barely any"?

Yes, "barely no" is grammatically incorrect, while "barely any" is the correct way to express that there is very little of something. Using "barely any" ensures clarity and avoids misinterpretation.