how wide are

USAGE SUMMARY

"How wide are" is a perfectly correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to ask questions related to size and width, such as "How wide are the panels on your windows?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"How wide are your handlebars?" shouted the driver.

The Guardian

So, how wide are the economic impacts that dengue's contagion has on the gross national product?

Acta Tropica

Split the country by state (and union territories) and you get a clear idea of how wide are the internal differences, how immense is the population, and how unequal the spread of wealth and increase in income.

The Economist

How wide are we?' He'd say, 'Don't worry about that.' It ended up being more like theater, because when you're on stage, they can always see you, and you'd better be alive and full at all times". Although DeWitt said the dialogue was "about 90%" in the script, Demme often went with discoveries on the fly.

Los Angeles Times

After a thorough survey of the basic features of the convention, he pinpoints how wide are the goals (and the many devisable targets) brought to the fore and how much ill- (if not un-) defined are the proposed monitoring processes: a potential cause for generic "monitoring" within each Country, and inhomogeneity across Countries.

BMC Public Health

If you go to a good shoe store, you can get your feet measured accurately for all of the following: How wide are your feet?

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

(The standard deviation is a measure of how widely dispersed a collection of measurements is. In plain English: How wide is the bell curve that plots the price fluctuations?) This plain-Jane historical statistic isn't good enough, says RiskMetrics.

Forbes

HOW wide was it?

The New York Times

How wide was its perch?

The New York Times

BERLIN — How wide is a beach?

The New York Times

How wide is my wheelchair?

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "how wide are", ensure the subject is plural to match the verb conjugation. For example, "How wide are the shelves?" is correct, while "How wide are the shelf?" is not.

Common error

A common mistake is using a singular subject with "are". Avoid saying "How wide are this road?" Instead, use "How wide is this road?" if the subject is singular.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how wide are" serves as an interrogative phrase used to elicit information about the width or breadth of a plural subject. It is a fundamental way to inquire about dimensions and spatial extent. Ludwig AI confirms its direct and inquisitive nature.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

16%

Science

34%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "how wide are" is a grammatically sound interrogative, primarily used to inquire about the breadth or extent of something. As validated by Ludwig AI, its function is direct and inquisitive. While primarily found in News & Media and Science, its register is generally neutral, making it suitable for various contexts. Remember to ensure subject-verb agreement when using this phrase. Related alternatives include "what are the dimensions" and "how broad are". Be mindful of maintaining subject-verb agreement to avoid common errors when using the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how broad are

Replaces 'wide' with 'broad', which is a direct synonym focusing on physical measurement.

what is their width

A more direct way of asking about the width of something, using a possessive pronoun.

what is the width of

Focuses on specifying the 'width' as a property of something rather than directly asking 'how wide'.

how much width do they have

Rephrases the question to focus on the amount of width something possesses.

what are the dimensions

Inquires about multiple dimensions, including width, instead of focusing solely on width.

how extensive are

Shifts the focus to the 'extent' or scope of something, rather than its physical width.

what's the breadth of

Replaces 'wide' with 'breadth', offering a more formal synonym to inquire about width.

to what extent are they wide

Emphasizes the degree of wideness, adding a layer of intensity to the inquiry.

what is the span of

Uses 'span' to refer to the distance between two points, implying width or reach.

what are the lateral measurements

Inquires about measurements relating to the side or width.

FAQs

How can I use "how wide are" in a sentence?

Use "how wide are" to inquire about the measurement or extent of something that has width. For example, "How wide are the rivers in this region?" or "How wide are the aisles in the grocery store?".

What's a more formal way to ask "how wide are"?

For a more formal tone, you might ask "What are the dimensions of...?" or "What is the "breadth of"...?", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "how wide is" instead of "how wide are"?

Yes, "how wide is" is correct when referring to a singular subject. For example, "How wide is the door?" is correct, while "How wide are the doors?" is also correct but refers to multiple doors.

What can I say instead of "how wide are"?

You can use alternatives like "What is the width of...?", "What's the "span of"...?", or "What are the lateral dimensions of...?", depending on the context and the level of formality you need.