half as many

USAGE SUMMARY

"half as many" is a perfectly acceptable phrase to use in written English.
It implies that there is some quantity of things that is being reduced by half. For example: "There were originally ten guests coming to the party, but half as many dropped out at the last minute."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

(Tsipras has half as many).

The New Yorker

(New York had half as many).

The New Yorker

By 1990, there were half as many.

The New York Times

The book sold half as many again.

The Guardian

Only a few inventors have earned even half as many.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

That's almost half as many as died in car accidents.

The New Yorker

"There are maybe half as many cows here".

The New Yorker

Losing by half as many Sunday stung just as much.

The New York Times - Sports

Neighbouring South Sudan has bought about half as many.

The Economist

He won only half as many votes as Mr Ito.

The Economist

By 2030 there could be half as many.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "half as many" when referring to countable items. For uncountable nouns, use "half as much."

Common error

A common mistake is using "half as many" with uncountable nouns (e.g., "half as many water"). Remember that "many" is for countable nouns; for uncountable nouns, use "half as much" (e.g., "half as much water").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half as many" functions as a determiner phrase specifying a quantity that is one-half of a reference quantity. It is typically used to modify nouns, indicating a reduction or comparison in number. Ludwig provides numerous examples of its use in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Academia

8%

Encyclopedias

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "half as many" is a versatile and frequently used comparative expression for indicating that a quantity is 50% of another. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it’s grammatically correct and widely accepted in English. The examples illustrate its common usage in news, academic, and encyclopedic contexts, emphasizing its neutral tone. While "half as many" is generally applicable across different registers, it’s crucial to use it accurately with countable nouns and maintain clarity in comparisons. Alternative phrases like "fifty percent fewer" or "approximately half" offer similar meanings and can enhance the precision or formality of your writing. Remember to avoid using "half as many" with uncountable nouns; "half as much" is the appropriate choice in such cases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

half the quantity

Emphasizes the reduction in terms of a specific quantity rather than a comparative number.

half the total

Highlights that the reduced quantity represents half of the original total.

fifty percent fewer

Uses a percentage to specify the reduction, making it more numerically precise.

50% less

A shorter, more direct way of expressing the same percentage reduction.

approximately half

Indicates an approximate value, suggesting the quantity is close to but not exactly half.

around half the number

Similar to 'approximately half', this emphasizes the approximate nature of the reduction in number.

nearly half

Indicates that the amount is slightly less than half, implying a close approximation.

in the neighborhood of half

The expression suggests the amount is close to a half, but it's not definite.

a moiety

More formal or archaic term for half; less commonly used in everyday speech.

a twofold decrease

Focuses on the process of reducing instead of direct comparison. It's worth to notice that this may be misleading, since twofold decrease indicates a value divided by three, not by two.

FAQs

How can I use "half as many" in a sentence?

Use "half as many" to indicate that one quantity is 50% of another. For example, "They sold "half as many tickets" this week as last week".

What's the difference between "half as many" and "half as much"?

"Half as many" is used with countable nouns (e.g., cars, books), while "half as much" is used with uncountable nouns (e.g., water, time). So, you'd say "half as many cars" but "half as much water".

Which is more formal, "half as many" or "fifty percent fewer"?

"Fifty percent fewer" is slightly more formal and numerically precise. "Half as many" is more conversational but equally correct.

What are some alternatives to using the phrase "half as many"?

You can use alternatives like "half the number of", "fifty percent less", or "approximately half" depending on the context.