less frequency than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less frequency than" is not correct in standard English; it should be "less frequent than." You can use the corrected phrase when comparing the frequency of two events or actions.
Example: "She visits her family less frequently than her brother does."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Schools offer swimming classes with less frequency than regular physical education courses.

The New York Times

On Monday, part of the war seemed to have tipped in Israel's favor with the I.D.F.'s Twitter posts far outnumbering those of the armed wing of Hamas, which seemed to have posted with far less frequency than earlier.

The New York Times

In the meantime, abuse is likely to continue, albeit with less frequency than in years gone by, thanks to fingerprint checks of those working in the industry and organisations like Biz Parents.

Independent

At the University of Tennessee, where Harris received repeated calls from Andy Miller, Malcolm McInnis, the school's associate athletic director, said officials hoped to talk to three other athletes whose names appeared in Miller's diary, although with less frequency than Harris's.

The New York Times - Sports

Family relationships were reported with less frequency than 'friends' or associates' (Severance 2005).

Health & Justice

Less invasive surgical approaches have been advocated and performed for many years, although with much less frequency than laparotomy.

Gynecological Surgery

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Dalteparin, a low molecular weight heparin, is an anticoagulant that shows less frequency of bleeding than regular heparin.

Critical Care

The solicited symptoms noted in this trial were generally mild and even less in frequency than previously reported (Table 4) [4].

Plosone

Interestingly, monocots show less TR frequency than the other three groups, but the difference is not statistically significant.

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

These results suggest that coding regions are more conserved (less SNP frequency) than non-coding regions, most probably due to purifying selection.

BMC Plant Biology

Conlon has handled the ball, freeing Diana Taurasi to roam, and has hit 3-pointers notable less for their frequency than for their timeliness.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing the occurrence of two events, use the phrase "less frequent than" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity. For example, "Complications are less frequent than initially expected."

Common error

Avoid using "less frequency than" as it is grammatically incorrect. The correct and widely accepted form is "less frequent than". This ensures clarity and avoids potential misinterpretations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less frequency than" functions as a comparative, aiming to express a lower rate of occurrence. Ludwig AI flags it as not correct in standard English, suggesting the use of "less frequent than" instead.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

53%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "less frequency than" appears in various sources, it's grammatically incorrect. As noted by Ludwig AI, the correct phrasing is "less frequent than." When comparing the occurrence rate of two things, it's best to use "less frequent than" to ensure accuracy and avoid misinterpretations. Alternatives include "lower rate than" or "not as frequent as". Remember to prioritize grammatical correctness, especially in formal or scientific writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lower rate than

Replaces "frequency" with "rate", focusing on the numerical comparison of occurrence.

smaller frequency than

Substitutes "less" with "smaller", emphasizing the size or magnitude of the frequency.

reduced frequency compared to

Uses "reduced" instead of "less" and "compared to" for a more formal tone.

not as frequent as

Restructures the phrase to use "not as frequent as", providing a common alternative.

less common than

Replaces "frequency" with "common", focusing on the commonality of the occurrence.

decreased frequency from

Uses "decreased" implying a change over time rather than a direct comparison.

rarer than

Emphasizes the rarity of the occurrence compared to something else.

infrequent compared to

Replaces "less" with "infrequent" which means 'not occurring often'.

less often than

Employs "less often" to describe the occurrence of an event or action.

less frequently than

Uses "less frequently" for a more grammatically correct and formal comparative.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "less frequency than"?

The grammatically correct way to express a lower rate of occurrence is to use "less frequent than".

Is it acceptable to use "less frequency than" in formal writing?

No, it is not acceptable. In formal writing, always use "less frequent than" to maintain grammatical correctness and professionalism.

What are some alternatives to "less frequency than"?

You can use phrases like "not as frequent as", "lower rate than", or "smaller frequency than" to express a similar meaning.

How does "less frequency than" differ from "less frequent than"?

"Less frequency than" is grammatically incorrect, while "less frequent than" is the correct and widely accepted way to express that something occurs less often.