compare on

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'compare on' is not an acceptable phrase in written English.
If you wish to express the idea of comparing one thing to another, you should use the phrase 'compare to'. For example: "I often compare my baking skills to my mother's."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

(I didn't have one to compare on hand, unfortunately).

TechCrunch

In general, binary fingerprint-based 2-D similarity methods can compare on the order of one million compound pairs per second per CPU core, but many 3-D similarity methods (such as ROCS [16, 17], used by PubChem) can only compare on the order of 100 ~ 1000 conformer pairs per second per CPU core.

Journal of Cheminformatics

THE SCRIPT -- "Compare on education.

The New York Times

How does the US really compare on firearms?

The Guardian

So who else is there to compare on a global scale since the early 90s?

The Guardian - Film

But we should not compare on the basis of value alone.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Selenium can compare on-the-fly sensor readings with those stored away in prior maps from previous journeys in similar conditions.

MIT Technology Review

We compare on-line and off-line exploration for a repeated task, where the agent is given some particular task to perform some number of times.

Artificial Intelligence

To compare on-road driving performance of patients with moderate or advanced glaucoma to controls and evaluate factors associated with unsafe driving.

American Journal of Ophthalmology

As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs Randomized On/Off Bypass ROOBYY) multisite trial, a cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to compare on-pump versus off-pump patients' quality-adjusted life-years and costs at 1 year.

Duke University

This study did not compare on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and OPCAB.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using "compare on", use the correct preposition "to" or use "based on" to specify the criteria for comparison, for example: "compare X to Y" or "compare X based on Z".

Common error

A common mistake is using the preposition "on" after "compare". Always ensure you use "to" for general comparisons or "with" when emphasizing similarities. For specifying the criteria, use "based on".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compare on" functions as a prepositional phrase, but its grammatical correctness is disputed. Ludwig AI indicates that it's not an acceptable phrase in written English. The intended function is to indicate a basis or criterion for comparison, though it is not grammatically standard.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Academia

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "compare on" appears across various sources, including science, news, and academia, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests using "compare to" or "compare with" instead, depending on whether you're highlighting similarities or examining both similarities and differences. For specifying criteria, "compare based on" is a better alternative. Given its grammatical status, it's best to avoid "compare on" in formal writing and opt for more conventional phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compare based on

This alternative emphasizes the criteria used for comparison.

contrast regarding

This alternative highlights the differences concerning a specific aspect.

evaluate against

This alternative focuses on assessing something in relation to a standard.

assess relative to

This alternative underscores the act of judging something in proportion to something else.

weigh against

This alternative brings in the concept of carefully considering the importance of different aspects.

consider in light of

This alternative frames the comparison as an evaluation done with specific information.

draw a comparison concerning

This alternative makes clear the process of making a contrast on the topic.

make a comparison about

This alternative is similar but less formal to "draw a comparison concerning".

match up against

A more informal way of suggesting a comparison, that focuses on competition.

collate with

This alternative focuses on putting information side by side.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "compare" in a sentence?

The verb "compare" is typically followed by "to" or "with". Use "compare to" when pointing out similarities between different things. For example, "I compare my skills to my mother's". Use "compare with" to examine the differences and similarities between two things. For example, "Let's compare the results with the previous study".

What can I say instead of "compare on"?

Instead of "compare on", use alternatives like "compare based on", "contrast regarding", or "evaluate against" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "compare on"?

No, the grammatically correct phrases are "compare to" or "compare with". The phrase "compare on" is not standard English.

When should I use "compare to" versus "compare with"?

"Compare to" is used to highlight similarities, often suggesting that one thing is like another. "Compare with" is used when examining both similarities and differences between two or more things.