less harder than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'less harder than' is not correct or usable in written English.
It should be changed to 'less hard than.' For example: Studying for the math test was less hard than studying for the English test.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

And EU regulations bite less hard than is commonly supposed.

The Economist

[Laughs] But I'm much less hard than I used to be.

The New Yorker

Is the glass ceiling for a woman harder or less hard than it was for an African-American?

The New York Times

Regulators had been frustrated that the bank was working less hard than its peers to shore up its funding.

The Economist

Thankfully he pushed less hard than usual in his bravura, which complemented Ms. Tuttle's brilliance in Act III.

The New York Times - Arts

Another is the slice of bread, slightly less hard than granite, that waits on each platter of calamari to traumatize the loose molars of neophytes.

The New York Times - Food

The French economy fell less hard than the others because it was not as reliant on exports as Germany, or as hooked on credit-financed consumption as Spain and Ireland.

The Economist

But less hard than before, and outside the battered coal and steel belt (where the reformed Communists still do well) the economy is surprisingly strong.

The Economist

Primary Truths Entering a classroom as a substitute teacher must be only slightly less hard than walking into the Roman Coliseum if your death were the entertainment.

The New York Times - Arts

Glass ranks around 5.5 to 7 Mohs, but sapphire crystal has a hardness of 9 Mohs, making it only slightly less hard than diamond.

The Guardian - Tech

The coastal city of Hangzhou, just south of Shanghai, has been hit less hard than some cities in China's manufacturing belt.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using double comparatives like "less harder". Use "less hard" instead. Remember that 'less' is already comparative.

Common error

Ensure you're not using double comparatives. Phrases like "more easier" or "less harder" are grammatically incorrect. Stick to either using 'more/less' with the base adjective or using the '-er' suffix, but not both.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less harder than" functions as an incorrect comparative construction. Ludwig AI states that is incorrect to use this phrase. The intended function is to compare the degree of difficulty or intensity between two subjects, but the grammar is flawed.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less harder than" is grammatically incorrect due to the use of a double comparative. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "less hard than". While the intention is to compare two items based on their difficulty, the incorrect usage undermines clear communication. It's best to use alternative phrases like "not as hard as" or "easier than" to maintain grammatical accuracy and ensure effective conveyance of your intended meaning. Given its grammatical error, "less harder than" is not recommended for formal or academic writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less hard than

Corrects the grammatical error by removing the double comparative.

not as hard as

Uses a different comparative structure to express a similar meaning.

easier than

Replaces "hard" with its antonym to convey a similar comparative idea.

simpler than

Offers a different word for 'hard' while still being comparative.

not quite as difficult as

Expands the comparison to be more descriptive.

less challenging than

Substitutes 'hard' with 'challenging' for a nuanced meaning.

not so demanding as

Uses 'demanding' as an alternative to 'hard', creating a formal tone.

more manageable than

Shifts the focus to manageability rather than difficulty.

slighter than

Less direct comparison than the original phrase.

to a lesser degree than

Introduces a more formal and indirect comparison.

FAQs

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

The grammatically correct way to phrase it is "less hard than". The word "less" already implies a comparison, so adding "harder" creates a double comparative.

What can I say instead of "less harder than"?

Alternatives include "not as hard as" or "easier than", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. Both avoid the double comparative present in "less harder than".

Is "less harder than" grammatically correct?

No, "less harder than" is not grammatically correct. The word "harder" is already a comparative adjective, and "less" is used to indicate a smaller degree. Using them together creates a double comparative, which is incorrect in standard English.

What's the difference between "less hard than" and "less harder than"?

"Less hard than" is grammatically correct and means something is not as difficult or strenuous as something else. "Less harder than" is incorrect because it uses a double comparative. The correct form expresses the intended meaning effectively.