due to clerical error

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "due to clerical error" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a mistake made by someone in an administrative or clerical capacity. For example, "The application was rejected due to clerical error."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

I called, emailed and got the most infuriating answer: The plan hadn't changed, due to clerical error.

Huffington Post

Although it is the most common transfusion reaction, febrile-associated transfusion reaction is due to clerical error and is self-limited.

Critical Care

Of the 702 participants, 129 subjects declined knee radiographs and 69 subjects were excluded due to poor knee radiograph quality(n = 4), total knee replacement surgery(n = 3) or missing films due to clerical error(n = 62).

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

To ascertain the quality of these denominators in the absence of a gold standard - such as a national registry of nurses -, we compared the raw number of graduates for each school/cohort combination with the corresponding figures retrieved from the SRC archives, the discrepancies – 8.9% nurses missing in the SRC files – may be due to clerical error and were randomly distributed (data not shown).

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

I go to a lot of tech conferences and in conjunction with that get added to notables lists, due to clerical errors.

Huffington Post

These discrepancies could be due to clerical errors or sample mislabeling, or alternatively, represent true differences between self-reported ethnicity and genetic ancestry.

Plosone

At follow-up 11 of the 561 individuals were not included, due to clerical errors, emigration or by failing to locate them by 2006.

BMC Psychiatry

Frequently, identifiers which are supposed to be unique to an individual (e.g. UK National Health Service numbers, or the patient numbers generated by hospitals) are missing from some or all data items; additionally, some are incorrectly entered due to clerical or typographic errors.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

All of her family members were killed in the concentration camp's gas chambers, but she was able to leave Auschwitz due to a clerical error regarding her date of birth that saved her from certain death during the Holocaust.

Huffington Post

Admiral King then found an error in the Navy's position reports, which he later attributed to "clerical error".

Wikipedia

Warner Music said that due to a "clerical error, the email was accidentally serviced to some users who had subscribed to mailing lists for other Warner Music artists".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "due to clerical error", be specific about the error's impact and what steps are being taken to correct it. For example, instead of saying "The delay was due to clerical error", say "The delay was due to a clerical error in processing the paperwork; we are expediting the correction to resolve it."

Common error

Avoid using "due to clerical error" without further explanation, as it can sound dismissive and unprofessional. Always provide context and a plan for rectification to maintain transparency and accountability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "due to clerical error" functions as an adverbial phrase, specifically a causal adjunct. It modifies a clause or sentence by providing the reason or cause for a particular situation or event. Ludwig provides various examples where the phrase explains why something happened.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Wiki

17%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "due to clerical error" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to explain that a mistake or problem occurred because of an administrative or documentation error. As indicated by Ludwig, it serves as a causal adjunct, providing a reason for a specific issue. While the register is neutral, making it suitable for news, formal announcements, and scientific contexts, it's best practice to provide more specific details about the error and the steps taken to rectify it to ensure transparency and professionalism. Be mindful of using it as a blanket excuse and consider alternative phrases like "owing to administrative oversight" when appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

owing to an administrative oversight

Replaces "clerical error" with a more formal term, focusing on administrative processes.

caused by a paperwork mistake

Emphasizes the role of incorrect documentation in causing the error.

as a result of an administrative slip-up

Uses a more informal term "slip-up" to indicate a minor mistake.

attributable to a recording error

Focuses specifically on errors in recording or documenting information.

stemming from an office mistake

Highlights that the error originated within an office setting.

resulting from faulty documentation

Indicates the documentation itself was flawed, leading to the error.

on account of a data entry mistake

Focuses on mistakes made during the process of entering data.

because of a filing mistake

Specifies the error occurred during the filing or archiving process.

a consequence of inaccurate records

Indicates the records were not accurate, leading to further issues.

through an error in processing

Implies the error happened during the handling or manipulation of data.

FAQs

How can I use "due to clerical error" in a sentence?

You can use "due to clerical error" to explain the cause of a mistake or problem. For example, "The payment was delayed "due to clerical error" in the accounting department."

What phrases are similar to "due to clerical error"?

Alternatives include "owing to administrative oversight", "caused by a paperwork mistake", or "as a result of an administrative slip-up".

Is it acceptable to use "due to clerical error" in formal writing?

Yes, "due to clerical error" is acceptable, but it's often better to provide more specific details about the error to maintain transparency and professionalism. For more formal contexts consider using "owing to administrative oversight" instead.

When should I avoid using "due to clerical error"?

Avoid using "due to clerical error" when it's a recurring issue without any effort to prevent future mistakes. In such cases, it may indicate systemic problems rather than isolated incidents.