half kilometer

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "half kilometer" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a distance measurement that is equal to 500 meters. Example: "The finish line is located half a kilometer from the starting point."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

For example, halfway to the summit of Mont Ventoux, police officers stationed every half kilometer forced riders off their bikes.

The New York Times - Travel

On Feb. 6, in Geophysical Research Letters, a publication of the American Geophysical Union, the scientists reported how a network of temperature sensors that they moored at a depth of a half kilometer, or a third of a mile, gave strong evidence of the passing waves.

The New York Times - Science

Less than a half kilometer away flows the Dorpang River, a north-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra in upper Assam, whose embankments repeatedly overflow and burst, drowning paddy fields and depositing sand and pebbles that are washed down from the distantly visible hills of Arunachal Pradesh.

The New York Times

Coordinates in populated areas were used, and the nearest intersection to the start point, usually within a half kilometer, was used as the starting survey location.

Journal of International Humanitarian Action

A quarter mile (half kilometer) north of these is another Inyo Craters explosion pit on top of Deer Mountain.

Wikipedia

Metrorail stations are located at about a mile (one and a half kilometer) apart along the line, and Metromover stations are located at approximately every two blocks in the greater Downtown area.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

And here it is happening one and a half kilometers from the Royal Palace.

The New York Times

"In the last one and a half kilometers," he said, "I was boxed in.

The New York Times - Sports

In a display of perfect tactics, they rocketed first onto the two and a half kilometers of irregular cobblestones and left a heavy trail of dust behind.

The New York Times - Sports

"I think it's only, by the time you get there, two and a half kilometers," Hincapie said of the climb.

The New York Times - Sports

About one and a half kilometers after passing the entrance to the Syracuse-Noto autostrada, fork to the left at the small sign for Case del Feudo.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing for an international audience, consider providing the equivalent distance in miles (approximately 0.3 miles) alongside "half kilometer" for clarity.

Common error

Avoid mixing metric and imperial units in the same context without proper conversion. If using "half kilometer", don't switch to feet or inches without providing the kilometer equivalent.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half kilometer" functions as a noun phrase specifying a measurable distance. It is commonly used as an adjective preceding a noun, as exemplified by Ludwig in the snippet, "police officers stationed every half kilometer forced riders off their bikes."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "half kilometer" is a grammatically correct noun phrase used to specify a distance of 500 meters. As indicated by Ludwig, it's suitable for various contexts, including news, science, and general writing. While not as frequent as other distance measurements, "half kilometer" provides a clear and concise way to quantify spatial information. Common alternatives include "five hundred meters" or "point five kilometers", depending on the context's formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

point five kilometers

Uses the decimal representation of one half.

0.5 km

Expresses the distance using the standard abbreviation for kilometer.

five hundred meters

Converts kilometers to meters for a different unit of measure.

approximately 500 meters

Adds an approximation to the measurement, while still conveying the same distance.

around half a kilometer

Uses "around" to indicate an approximate distance.

about half a kilometer

Replaces "approximately" with "about", while maintaining the same meaning.

a distance of 500 m

Describes the measure using the term 'distance'.

within a 500-meter radius

Specifies distance within a specific area.

half a klick

Replaces "kilometer" with the military slang term "klick".

a short distance of 500 meters

Adds the qualifier 'short' to describe the length.

FAQs

How do I use "half kilometer" in a sentence?

You can use "half kilometer" to describe distances, for example: "The store is located "half a kilometer" from the park."

What is an alternative way to say "half kilometer"?

Alternatives include "five hundred meters" or "point five kilometers". The choice depends on the context and desired level of precision.

Is it better to use "half kilometer" or "0.5 kilometers"?

Both are correct, but "half kilometer" is generally preferred in less technical contexts. "0.5 kilometers" is common in scientific or technical writing where precision is important.

What is the equivalent of "half kilometer" in miles?

"Half kilometer" is approximately equal to 0.31 miles. So, you could say "about a third of a mile" as an approximation.