every third time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "every third time" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate an action or event that occurs once every three instances. Example: "I water the plants every third time I remember to check on them."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

No. Does it happen every third time?

The New York Times

Customers who sign up to the Tesco Mobile Xtras programme will see an extra full-screen ad roughly every third time they unlock their phone.

The Guardian

It seems that McCarthy has a two-for-the-studio, one-for-me arrangement that permits her to lay these eggs every third time out.

The Guardian - Film

Statistical tests were performed at every third time point (3 months, 6 months, etc).. Testers were blind to genotype.

Plosone

By using every other time frame (3 data points) or every third time frame (2 data points) this method can be used to up to three fields of view [ 97].

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

(M )–(P ) Transcript levels derived from a 1-hr resolution time course are presented with either every time point (M and O ) or every third time point (N and P ) displayed.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

If it continued pressing the lever, every hundredth time the rat would receive another pellet.

The Guardian - Opinion

But more gulls have caught on, and the population has boomed to the point where whales are attacked at least every fourth time they surface, he said.

The Guardian

If, for example, a company is caught only every fifth time it pollutes a river, then when it is caught a jury fixing damages should multiply the value of harm done by five.

The Economist

Each subject was requested to attend to "start" and "stop" commands every 20 s alternatively and had to respond with the motor task every second time.

NeuroImage

I told myself that every first time with him would be my last time.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "every third time" to clearly indicate a recurring event or action that occurs at intervals of three. For example, "The software updates every third time the application is launched."

Common error

Avoid using "every third time" when you mean "three times" or "every three times". "Every third time" specifies a specific interval, not a total count.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "every third time" functions as an adverbial phrase of frequency, modifying a verb to specify how often an action occurs. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "every third time" is a grammatically correct and usable adverbial phrase that specifies the frequency of an event, indicating that it happens once within a set of three occurrences. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is perfectly acceptable. While not exceedingly common, it appears in diverse contexts, including news, science and wiki sources. To enhance clarity, consider alternatives like "once every three times". Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding phrases like "every three times". Overall, "every third time" provides a clear and concise way to describe a recurring pattern.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

once every three times

Rephrases the frequency using "once" to emphasize the single occurrence within the three instances.

every three instances

Substitutes "time" with "instances" to focus on the number of occurrences.

every third occasion

Replaces "time" with "occasion", which emphasizes the event-like nature of the instance.

every three repetitions

Specifically highlights a repeated action or event happening in cycles of three.

in cycles of three

Focuses on the cyclical aspect of the frequency, rather than a specific instance.

every three attempts

Emphasizes that the action is attempted, and the outcome occurs every third attempt.

every third iteration

Used in technical or computational contexts to denote a process that repeats every third cycle.

every three rounds

Suitable in scenarios like games or sports where actions are performed in rounds.

one in three times

Expresses the frequency as a probability or chance out of three.

every third go

An informal way to express taking turns or attempting something, happening every third attempt.

FAQs

How can I use "every third time" in a sentence?

Use "every third time" to indicate that something happens once in a series of three occurrences. For example, "I check my email every third time I open my laptop."

What's a more formal way to say "every third time"?

While "every third time" is suitable for most contexts, you could use "at intervals of three occurrences" for a more formal tone.

Which is correct, "every third time" or "every three times"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but they have different meanings. "Every third time" specifies a single occurrence within a series of three, while "every three times" is ambiguous and often means "three times".

What can I say instead of "every third time" if I want to emphasize the repetition?

You can use phrases like "once every three times" or "every three instances" to emphasize the repetitive nature of the event.