five years of age

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'five years of age' is correct and usable in written English.
You could use this phrase to talk about a certain age or to compare the age of different people or things. For example, "The minimum driving age in this state is 18 years of age."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Laudy saved my life at five years of age.

The New York Times

Females first breed at four or five years of age.

Encyclopedia Britannica

What does the word "story" mean to a child at two or five years of age?

University of Pennsylvania

However, when English children reach about five years of age, they sound like their parents.

The New Yorker

The United Nations estimate 6.3m children under five years of age died in 2013.

The Economist

Adults typically hold this coloration between five years of age and the end of their lives.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Childcare Options : Coming with children under five years of age?

Duke University

Our center has 12 classrooms, providing care for children 6 weeks to five years of age.

Duke University

Child Care Options: Coming with children under five years of age?

Duke University

A macro model of morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age is presented.

Johns Hopkins University

The greatest increase was in children under five years of age.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing formally about age, use ""five years of age"" for clarity and precision. This is especially useful in legal, medical, or official documents.

Common error

Avoid incorrectly using ""five years of age"" as a compound adjective. Instead of saying 'a five years of age child', use 'a five-year-old child' or 'a child who is five years of age'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase ""five years of age"" functions primarily as a noun phrase specifying a duration of time, often used to indicate the age of a person, animal, or object. This is consistent with Ludwig's examples, which show its use in various contexts to denote age.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Formal & Business

25%

News & Media

22%

Science

18%

Less common in

Academia

15%

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase ""five years of age"" is a grammatically correct and versatile expression used to denote a specific age or duration, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's commonly found in formal contexts such as business, news, and scientific publications. While alternatives like "at the age of five" or "five-year-old" exist, ""five years of age"" is preferred in scenarios requiring precision. Remember to use it accurately, particularly avoiding its misuse as a compound adjective. According to Ludwig, the phrase is both understandable and acceptable in a broad range of writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

at the age of five

Changes the sentence structure while retaining the exact meaning, focusing on the age as a point in time.

aged five years

Simplifies the phrase by using "aged" as an adjective, offering a more concise alternative.

five-year-old

Transforms the phrase into a compound adjective, commonly used to describe someone who is five years old.

at five years old

Combines elements of other alternatives, specifying age as a point in time with the "years old" format.

five years of existence

Emphasizes the duration of life or being, rather than just the age.

for five years

Focuses on the duration, suitable when emphasizing the length of time something has lasted.

spanning five years

Highlights that something covers a period of five years, often used in contexts of events or projects.

a five-year duration

Uses a more formal tone to describe a period of five years.

in the fifth year

Refers to a specific year within a longer period or process.

five years hence

Indicates a point five years into the future, changing the temporal direction.

FAQs

How do I use "five years of age" in a sentence?

You can use "five years of age" to specify someone's or something's age, as in "The child is "five years of age"" or "The tree reached maturity at "five years of age"".

What are some alternatives to saying "five years of age"?

Alternatives include "at the age of five", "aged five years", or referring to someone as a "five-year-old".

Is it correct to say "five year old" instead of "five years of age"?

While "five-year-old" is commonly used as an adjective (e.g., a five-year-old child), "five years of age" is more formal and suitable for official contexts. "Five year old" without the hyphen is grammatically incorrect.

In what contexts is "five years of age" most appropriate?

"Five years of age" is most appropriate in formal writing, such as legal documents, medical reports, or academic papers, where precision and clarity are essential. In casual conversation, "five-year-old" or "at the age of five" are more common.