ditto

USAGE SUMMARY

"ditto" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is usually used to express agreement or to repeat the same word or phrase that has just been mentioned. For example, "He was wearing a red shirt. His friend was wearing the same—ditto."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Travel

Politics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

If you want a symbol of all they've messed up, ditto.

The Guardian

Lending to the state is low risk; ditto for much of the mortgage market, at least at the retail end, where fierce competition also keeps margins thin.

The Economist

The inflationary effect of injecting $1 billion into the economy could be dire; ditto the impact on the tumbling bolivar of treating foreign reserves as if they were the government's piggy-bank.

The Economist

Denis Thatcher, ditto"It's a tall mountain to climb, but I never lost".

The Economist

They helped convict Nelson Mandela's former wife, Winnie, of fraud; ditto the former chief whip of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Tony Yengeni.

The Economist

In the past few weeks, equity and bond markets have sold off, emerging markets ditto, high yield bonds' spreads over Treasuries have widened a bit and equity volatility has finally stirred from its lengthy snooze.

The Economist

The table shows the six possible combinations; Republicans with Presidency, Senate and House; Democrats with all three; Republican Presidents with both houses against them; Democrats ditto; Republicans with one house against, and one for; Democrats ditto.

The Economist

They then took all the executives from the top class in each group and compared their companies' share-price performance with that of their competitors; ditto for the second-to-top class, and so on.

The Economist

Ditto the Antarctic, the islands of French Polynesia and, really, anywhere surrounded by water.

The Guardian - Travel

In Mali ditto.

The Guardian

The IMF forecasts that only the developing countries in Asia (which are poorer than Brazil, Africaa (ditto) and the Middle East will do better in 2009.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "ditto", ensure the context is absolutely clear to avoid ambiguity. It should be immediately obvious what you are referring to.

Common error

Avoid relying heavily on "ditto" in formal reports or academic papers. Replace it with specific repetitions or synonyms to maintain clarity and professionalism.

Linguistic Context

"Ditto" functions primarily as an adverb or interjection, indicating agreement or repetition of a preceding statement. Ludwig AI confirms this usage. It can also function as a noun, referring to something previously stated.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

10%

Travel

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ditto" serves as a versatile term functioning primarily as an adverb or interjection to denote agreement or repetition. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage. While highly frequent in news and media, its informality suggests caution in formal writing where precision and detail are paramount. Consider synonyms like "same here" or "likewise" to maintain clarity depending on context. Remember that while "ditto" is useful for succinct communication, mindful application ensures effectiveness across varied writing scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

same here

Indicates agreement or that the same situation applies to the speaker, similar to "ditto" but slightly more conversational.

likewise

Expresses a similar sentiment or action in return, more formal than "ditto".

me too

A simple and direct expression of agreement, less versatile than "ditto".

the same applies

More explicit and less concise than "ditto", suitable for formal contexts.

as above

Refers to something previously mentioned, similar to "ditto" in written contexts.

as stated before

More verbose but clarifies that the information is being repeated.

the aforementioned

A formal way to refer to something already mentioned, less common in speech.

in the same way

Highlights the similarity in manner or action.

correspondingly

Indicates a similar or parallel relationship.

similarly

Highlights the resemblance between two things or situations.

FAQs

How can I use "ditto" in a sentence?

"Ditto" is typically used to indicate agreement with a previous statement or to repeat something already mentioned. For example, "I like pizza. Ditto."

What phrases are similar to "ditto"?

Alternatives to "ditto" include "same here", "likewise", or "me too" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "ditto" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "ditto" is generally considered informal. More formal alternatives like "similarly" or "correspondingly" may be more suitable for formal contexts.

What does "ditto" mean?

"Ditto" means "the same as said before" or "likewise". It's used to show agreement or to indicate that something applies equally to another person or situation.