how many times

USAGE SUMMARY

"How many times" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used as an interrogative phrase to ask how often something is done or occurs. Example sentence: "How many times have you been to the store this week?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Q: How many times?

The New York Times

How many times?

The New York Times

V. How many times?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

But how many times?

The New York Times - Arts

How many times, Arron?

The Guardian - Opinion

"How many times a week?" I asked.

The New York Times

How many times have you heard it?

The New York Times

How many times have you seen it?

The New York Times

Exactly how many times, Ishikawa lost track.

The New York Times

How many times can he say that?

The New Yorker

I forget how many times he called.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When asking about frequency, ensure the context is clear. Specify the timeframe (e.g., "How many times per week?") for better clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "how many times" when you need more specific information about the nature or impact of the repetitions. For example, instead of "How many times did the issue occur?", ask "What were the consequences each time the issue occurred?"

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how many times" functions as an interrogative phrase, specifically used to inquire about the frequency or number of occurrences of an event or action. Ludwig AI confirms this is correct English, and its examples show its versatility in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

20%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how many times" is a grammatically sound and frequently used interrogative phrase employed to inquire about the frequency or number of occurrences of an event. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, ranging from news and media to academic and informal settings. While it maintains a neutral register, specifying a timeframe can improve clarity. Related alternatives include "how often" and "on how many occasions". Common errors involve overgeneralization, so specificity is key. According to Ludwig's examples, the expression appears across multiple authoritative sources making it versatile and widely accepted.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how often

This alternative directly substitutes "how many times" with a simpler phrase meaning frequency.

how frequently

Synonymous to 'how often', this alternative emphasizes the regularity of occurrence.

in how many instances

Similar to 'on how many occasions', but uses 'instances' for specificity.

on how many occasions

This phrase adds a layer of formality by using "occasions" to refer to specific instances.

what number of times

A slightly more formal and less common way to phrase the question.

at what frequency

This emphasizes the rate at which something happens.

what is the frequency

This shifts from a question to a statement asking about the rate of occurrence.

how repeatedly

Focuses on the repeated nature of the action or event.

to what extent

This is broader, implying a degree or level of repetition rather than a specific count.

how numerously

A more archaic or poetic way to ask about the number of times.

FAQs

How can I use "how many times" in a sentence?

You can use "how many times" to ask about the frequency of an event. For instance, "How many times have you visited Italy?" or "How many times a week do you exercise?"

What can I say instead of "how many times"?

You can use alternatives like "how often", "on how many occasions", or "what is the frequency" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "how much times" instead of "how many times"?

No, "how much times" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "how many times". "Much" is used with uncountable nouns, while "many" is used with countable nouns like "times".

What's the difference between "how many times" and "how long" when asking about repeated events?

"How many times" asks about the number of occurrences of an event, whereas "how long" refers to the duration or length of a single event or a continuous period. For example, "How many times did you call?" vs. "How long did you talk on the phone?"