how much

USAGE SUMMARY

"how much" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when asking about an amount or quantity of something. For example: "How much sugar do you need to put in this cake?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

How much?

The New York Times

How much is quoter, how much quotee?

The New Yorker

But how much longer, how much longer?

The New York Times - Books

How much marsh produces how much fish?

Ecological Engineering

How much cash?

Independent

But how much reform?

The Economist

How much brain damage?

The New York Times - Sports

Q How much time?

The New York Times

How much despair?

The New York Times

How much they fetched.

The New York Times

If so, how much?

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When asking about the price of something, use "how much" directly followed by "is it" or the item in question (e.g., "How much is it?", "How much is this book?").

Common error

Avoid using "how much" with countable nouns; instead, use "how many". For example, say "How many apples do you have?" not "How much apples do you have?".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how much" functions as an interrogative determiner when asking about quantity and as an adverbial phrase when inquiring about price. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is a correct and usable form.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Wiki

13%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how much" is a versatile phrase used to inquire about quantity or price, and is grammatically correct as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's prevalent in various contexts, particularly in News & Media. When asking about price, it directly precedes "is it" or the item. Remember to use "how many" instead for countable nouns. Consider alternatives like "what quantity" or "what is the price" for varied expression. While broadly applicable, be mindful of using it correctly with countable versus uncountable nouns for clear communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what quantity

Focuses directly on the amount or number of something.

what amount

Similar to 'what quantity', but often used for uncountable items.

what is the price

Specifically inquires about the monetary cost.

what is the cost

Synonymous with 'what is the price'.

to what extent

Asks about the degree or scope of something.

how great is the

Emphasizes the magnitude or intensity.

how significant is

Focuses on the importance or impact.

what proportion

Refers to the relative size or fraction.

what volume

Asks about the quantity of substance or space.

how large a

Similar to "how much", implies the largeness in size or extent of something

FAQs

How do I use "how much" in a sentence?

Use "how much" to ask about the quantity of uncountable nouns or the price of something. For example, "How much water do you need?" or "How much does this cost?"

What's the difference between "how much" and "how many"?

"How much" is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., water, time, money), while "how many" is used for countable nouns (e.g., apples, minutes, dollars).

What can I say instead of "how much" when asking about price?

You can use phrases like "what is the price" or "what is the cost" to inquire about the price of an item or service.

Is "how much" formal or informal?

"How much" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, depending on the surrounding language and situation.