late an hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "late an hour" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey that something is delayed by an hour, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "The train arrived late an hour, causing many passengers to miss their connections."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"I would be an hour late, an hour and a half late—I mean, very bad," he said.

The New Yorker

The event began a little late — an hour late, in fact (it was "cricket time," as everybody called it) — with warm-ups, ceremonial photographs and a brief welcome by Thomas A. Paulo, the Staten Island commissioner of parks.

The New York Times

"Just as I was laying down to slumber for the night and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, I hear that familiar 'Bwip!' from Skype, telling me I've just been unfortunate enough to receive a message at such late an hour," related Marroni.

TechCrunch

If the plane is late an hour, get rid of airplanes!

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Luckily, I was invited to attend an interview the next day and walked into the interview saying: "I have been five minutes late, half an hour late but never 24 hours late".

The Guardian

"I'd say I am going to be 15 minutes late or an hour late or whatever," Rebecca said, "but I'd tell her I am coming".

The New York Times

But Mayer was late — about an hour and a half late.

TechCrunch

They were 20 minutes late as they had left an hour late from Hamburg.

The New Yorker

Roll up late, a couple hours after it was supposed to start.

WikiHow

However, Guns N' Roses arrived an hour late to Reading, and 35 minutes late to Leeds.

The Guardian - Music

The players were ticked off, posing with visiting fans at a late hour in an era when social media makes something local international instantly.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "an hour late" instead of "late an hour". The former is the correct and commonly accepted way to express a delay of one hour.

Common error

Avoid using the word order "late an hour". This phrasing is not standard English and can confuse readers. Always place the time duration before the word "late".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "late an hour" functions as an incorrect attempt to describe a delay. The intended grammatical function is adjectival, modifying a noun to indicate the extent of the delay. As Ludwig AI points out, this is not standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "late an hour" is an incorrect and uncommon way to express a delay of one hour. As Ludwig AI confirms, the correct phrasing is "an hour late". While some sources in Ludwig use the incorrect phrase, it's crucial to adopt the standard English phrasing to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness. Alternatives such as "delayed by an hour" can also be used. Always prioritize "an hour late" for clear and accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an hour late

This is the grammatically correct and most common way to express being delayed by one hour.

delayed by an hour

This alternative uses a passive construction to indicate a delay of one hour.

one hour behind schedule

This phrase emphasizes the deviation from a planned schedule.

running an hour behind

This suggests a continuous process that is currently lagging by one hour.

tardy by an hour

Replaces "late" with "tardy", implying a formal setting.

an hour behind time

Similar to 'an hour behind schedule', but can be used more generally.

one hour overdue

Implies that something was expected to happen or be completed an hour ago.

a 60-minute delay

Uses a numerical description of the delay, sounding more technical.

held up for an hour

Indicates that something or someone was stopped or prevented from proceeding for an hour.

an hour past the deadline

Specifically indicates that a deadline has been missed by one hour.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say something is delayed by 60 minutes?

The correct way to say something is delayed by 60 minutes is to say it is "an hour late" or that it is "delayed by an hour".

Is it grammatically correct to say 'late an hour'?

No, it is not grammatically correct. The standard English phrasing is "an hour late". Ludwig AI flags "late an hour" as incorrect.

What are some alternative ways to describe something being 'an hour late'?

Alternatives include "delayed by an hour", "one hour behind schedule", or simply specifying the time it should have arrived versus its actual arrival time.

Which is the more common phrase, 'late an hour' or 'an hour late'?

"An hour late" is significantly more common and considered the correct phrasing. "Late an hour" is rarely used and considered grammatically incorrect.