but they were however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "but they were however" is not correct and is generally not usable in written English due to redundancy.
You can use it when trying to contrast two ideas, but it should be rephrased for clarity and conciseness. Example: "The team performed well, but they were, however, unable to secure a victory." (This should be rephrased for better clarity.)

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"After training, the participants' neural timing did not become equivalent to that of a young adult," Kraus says, "but they were, however, able to successfully hear, remember, and understand sentences in noisy background listening conditions conditions that prior to training, rendered understanding of what had been said impossible".

Science Magazine

18, 19 It can be argued that the small magnitude of improvement in some parameters could not have clinical significance, but they were however associated with a significant decrease in the number of events related to both micro- and macroangiopathic complications.

ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

They therefore may not be considered to be hypotheses at all, but they are, however, often mistaken for hypotheses.

SEP

A study carried out by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony states that exhibitionists aren't interested in actively harming women, but they are, however, more likely to run the risk inflicting trauma on women and children then restricting themselves from living out their sexual fantasies.

Vice

When the Roman Catholic ruler of these counties, which formed the strategically most important block of territories on the lower Rhine, died without an heir, two Protestant claimants occupied his lands, aided not only by the German Protestant Union but also by France and England; they were, however, militantly opposed by Spain and the emperor.

Britannica

They were, however, too optimistic.

The New York Times

They were however, slightly annoyed.

The Guardian

They were, however, quickly disappointed.

Huffington Post

They aren't noise-canceling, however, but they are still a brilliant pair of cans.

Forbes

No doubt the rich and the powerful will codify their consumption of crack in a way that makes sense to the tastes of the Club World classes, but however brainy they are, however crafty, not even senior execs can outrun the physiological gravity of crack addiction.

Vice

They are, however, solvable.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using redundant phrases like "but they were however". Choose either "but" or "however" to clearly express contrast or concession.

Common error

Don't combine conjunctions with similar meanings. Using both "but" and "however" in the same clause creates unnecessary wordiness and weakens your writing. Select the single, strongest connector to convey your intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "but they were however" functions as a conjunction, attempting to connect two contrasting ideas. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect due to the redundancy of "but" and "however".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

16%

Less common in

Wiki

16%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "but they were however" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and redundant. As Ludwig AI points out, the combination of "but" and "however" creates unnecessary wordiness. While it appears in various sources, including news and scientific articles, it's best to opt for clearer and more concise alternatives like "but they were still" or "however, they were" to improve the clarity and professionalism of your writing. Avoiding this phrase will help you communicate more effectively and avoid sounding clumsy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

but they were still

Replaces 'however' to provide a simpler contrast.

but they were nonetheless

Uses 'nonetheless' for a more formal tone while maintaining the contrast.

yet they were

Employs 'yet' as a concise alternative to 'but' and 'however'.

however, they were

Reorders the sentence to emphasize the contrasting element with 'however'.

despite this, they were

Introduces 'despite this' for a more explicit indication of contrast.

even so, they were

Uses 'even so' to show concession followed by a contrasting statement.

but even then, they were

Adds 'even then' to emphasize a surprising contrast.

although they were

Substitutes 'but' with 'although' to create a subordinate clause.

conversely, they were

Employs 'conversely' to introduce a direct opposite.

on the other hand, they were

Uses 'on the other hand' to present an alternative perspective.

FAQs

Why is the phrase "but they were however" considered incorrect?

The phrase is redundant because "but" and "however" serve similar functions in contrasting ideas. Using both together adds unnecessary words and doesn't improve clarity.

What are some alternatives to "but they were however"?

You can use alternatives such as "but they were still", "yet they were", or "however, they were" depending on the desired emphasis.

Is it ever appropriate to use "but they were however" in writing?

While technically grammatically functional, it is generally better to avoid using "but they were however" in formal writing. Opt for a single, clearer contrasting word or phrase instead.

How does using "but they were however" affect the tone of writing?

Using "but they were however" can make writing sound clumsy or unrefined. Choosing a more concise alternative improves clarity and makes the writing more professional.