barely readable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely readable" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It refers to something that is difficult to read or hard to understand due to poor handwriting, small font, or other factors. Example: The old love letters were barely readable, but their faded words held a special meaning to the couple who had written them decades ago.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

Finally, oral tales, when transcribed faithfully, are often barely readable.

The New Yorker

"It was barely readable, with just a phone number".

The New York Times

"Most are barely readable, illiterate bits of marketing," he concedes.

The New York Times

Others might be cluttered, filled with barely readable prose and, frankly, tough to look at.

The Washington Post

These booklets are barely readable, but they are not meant to be read.

Harvard Business Review

At this distance the words on the screen that accompanied the images were just barely readable.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

30 human-written examples

Although in common use, SBML has the shortcoming that it is barely human readable.

BMC Genomics

This very readable, engaging novel makes a barely believable set of circumstances tenderly credible.

The Guardian - Books

A sleeping child, closely attended by a small dog, is the most readable image, but others -- barely discernible visages, limbs and biomorphic forms -- float in this anticomposition.

The New York Times

And his novel is so readable and tidily constructed that, initially, you barely notice its increasingly improbable plot contrivances.

The New York Times - Books

All elements are named by their respective human-readable name, which is nice for manual inspections but renders the converted models barely usable for further subsequent modeling steps.

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing visual elements like charts or graphs, use "barely readable" to convey that the data, labels, or details are difficult to discern due to size, resolution, or design.

Common error

Avoid using "barely readable" to describe text that is conceptually difficult to understand. This phrase specifically refers to physical readability, not complexity of ideas. For complex content, use terms like "difficult to understand" or "incomprehensible".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely readable" functions primarily as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It describes the quality of something, indicating that it's difficult to read or decipher. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and common usage of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "barely readable" is a common and grammatically sound adjective phrase used to describe something difficult to read. Ludwig AI confirms this, highlighting its usage across various contexts, predominantly in News & Media, Academia, and Formal & Business settings. While alternatives like "scarcely legible" or "hardly decipherable" exist, "barely readable" offers a straightforward way to convey the idea that text or images are challenging, but not impossible, to read. When using this phrase, ensure it refers to physical readability and not conceptual difficulty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarcely legible

Emphasizes the difficulty in making out the letters or characters.

hardly decipherable

Highlights the effort required to decode or understand the content.

almost illegible

Indicates the content is nearing the point of being impossible to read.

faintly readable

Focuses on the weak or indistinct quality of the writing or text.

poorly legible

Describes the low quality of the writing in terms of readability.

difficult to read

A more general phrase indicating reading requires effort.

barely discernible

Implies the features are hard to distinguish, not just in reading.

nearly unreadable

Suggests something is close to being completely impossible to read.

hard to make out

Focuses on the struggle to understand or perceive something visually.

indistinct

Describes the general lack of clarity, which affects readability.

FAQs

What does "barely readable" mean?

The phrase "barely readable" describes something that is difficult to read or decipher, often due to poor handwriting, small font size, damage, or fading. It suggests that while not completely illegible, significant effort is required to read it.

When should I use "barely readable"?

Use "barely readable" when you want to convey that something is readable only with difficulty. This might be because the text is faded, the handwriting is poor, or the image quality is low.

What are some alternatives to "barely readable"?

Alternatives to "barely readable" include "scarcely legible", "hardly decipherable", and "almost illegible". The best choice depends on the specific reason why the text is difficult to read.

Is it correct to say something is "barely readable"?

Yes, it is correct to say something is "barely readable". It's a common and accepted phrase used to describe text that is difficult to read but not entirely illegible.