five miles away

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "five miles away" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a distance from a specific location. Example: "The nearest gas station is five miles away from here."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Travel

Real Estate

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

He was five miles away.

The Guardian - Music

She lives five miles away.

The New York Times

Waterloo is five miles away.

The New York Times

Newquay train station is five miles away.

The Guardian - Travel

It was about five miles away.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Bardi is the nearest town, about five miles away.

Independent

Cornelissen, looking through his binoculars, announced, "Speedboat five miles away".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

Like Mosul, which sits only fifty-five miles away, Erbil is an ancient city.

Columbia University

The uprising in Syria, which began twenty-five miles away, in Dara'a, changed all that.

The New Yorker

Thirty-five miles away, the skyscrapers of Chicago split the horizon.

The New York Times

Cleveland seemed both close and far away when I attended Oberlin College, thirty-five miles away.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "five miles away", ensure the context clearly indicates what the distance is measured from. Providing a specific reference point enhances clarity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "five miles away" when the context doesn't establish a clear point of origin. Always define what the distance is relative to, to prevent ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "five miles away" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause by indicating the distance of something. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is perfectly correct. Examples from Ludwig show its use in diverse contexts, from describing the location of towns to the distance of objects.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Travel

8%

Real Estate

5%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "five miles away" is a common and grammatically sound way to express distance, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It functions as an adverbial phrase, primarily used to provide spatial context across various situations. Predominantly found in news and media, it maintains a neutral register, making it versatile for different types of content. Remember to clearly define the reference point when using this phrase to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives like "at a distance of five miles" for a more formal tone, or "located five miles from here" to emphasize the point of origin.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at a distance of five miles

Specifies the distance more formally.

approximately five miles away

Indicates an estimation of the distance.

five miles distant

Uses a more literary or archaic word to describe the separation.

located five miles from here

Emphasizes the current location as the reference point.

within a five-mile radius

Indicates a circular area extending five miles from a central point.

five miles from the city center

Specifies the city center as a point of reference.

a five-mile drive

Highlights the journey involved in covering the distance.

a five-mile commute

Implies a regular journey to and from a location.

five miles in the distance

Focuses on perceiving the distance visually.

five miles outside

Suggests being just beyond a boundary or area.

FAQs

How can I use "five miles away" in a sentence?

You can use "five miles away" to describe the distance between two locations. For example, "The nearest hospital is "five miles away" from my house".

What are some alternatives to saying "five miles away"?

Alternatives include phrases like "at a distance of five miles", "five miles distant", or "located five miles from here", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "five miles away" or "5 miles away"?

Both "five miles away" and "5 miles away" are acceptable. "Five miles away" is generally preferred in more formal writing, while "5 miles away" is common in informal contexts and technical writing.

What does "within a five-mile radius" mean?

"Within a five-mile radius" means anywhere within a circle that extends five miles in all directions from a central point. It's different from saying something is simply "five miles away", which only specifies a linear distance.