less irregularities

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less irregularities" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "fewer irregularities" since "irregularities" is a countable noun. Example: "We aim to achieve fewer irregularities in our data collection process to ensure accuracy."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

With the naked eye the overall activity patterns appear almost unchanged with tendency to slightly less irregularities in bursts.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

We found a lower firing rate, less irregularity, and less temporal clustering under anesthesia compared to the AW state.

eLife

The images of the diacerein (DC), risedronate (RS) and risedronate plus glucosamine (RS + GS), as well as hyaluronic acid (HA) groups, showed less superficial irregularities similar to the negative control (CTRL), whereas glucosamine (GS) and chondroitin (CS) groups had more fibrillation.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

It is able to achieve greater precision and accuracy than conventional and manual trephination techniques, and thus lead to less interface irregularity and haze.

BMC Ophthalmology

International observers reported fewer irregularities, less intimidation and freer media coverage.

The Economist

But the arrests made so far appear to be less about financial irregularities than about free speech stifled, once again, by Thai royalists.Mr Saxena argued long and hard that Thai justice was neither free nor fair.

The Economist

Official corruption proved to be a more compelling rallying cry than civil rights or voting irregularities: less about abstract political freedoms and more about the insult of learning that your country's Prime Minister had acquired a vineyard in Tuscany while disposable incomes dropped an average of twelve per cent since 2014.

The New Yorker

He's vented much vitriol on accounting irregularities far less consequential than this one.

The Guardian - Opinion

"What could be better than your own blood?" Some doctors say that fillers taken from one's body are less likely to cause irregularities and bumps in thin-skinned areas than synthetic ones like Sculptra Aesthetic.

The New York Times

"What could be better than your own blood?" Doctors concede that fillers taken from one's body are less likely to cause irregularities and bumps in thin-skinned areas than are synthetic ones like Sculptra Aesthetic.

The New York Times

High BMI, a history of menstrual irregularities, and less exogenous hormone use were more common in cases than in controls.

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing countable nouns like "irregularities", always use "fewer" instead of "less" to ensure grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "less" with countable nouns. "Less" is for uncountable nouns. Use "fewer" when referring to a number of things that can be counted such as "irregularities". For example, it should be "fewer irregularities", not "less irregularities".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less irregularities" functions as a modifier describing a reduction in the number of something. However, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect because "irregularities" is a countable noun and should be paired with "fewer."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

35%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less irregularities" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "fewer irregularities" because "irregularities" is a countable noun. While the phrase is understandable and appears in various contexts, including science and news, it's essential to use the grammatically correct form in formal writing. Ludwig AI flags it as an incorrect construction so use of alternatives such as "reduced irregularities" or "decreased irregularities" are recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Fewer irregularities

Replaces "less" with "fewer" to correct the grammatical error with countable nouns.

Reduced irregularities

Uses the word "reduced" as an alternative to "less" to avoid the grammatical problem.

Decreased irregularities

Employs "decreased" as a substitute for "less", maintaining a formal tone.

Diminished irregularities

Suggests a reduction in irregularities using a more sophisticated term.

Lower incidence of irregularities

Focuses on the frequency of irregularities rather than their quantity.

Less frequent irregularities

Rephrases to emphasize the frequency of irregularities.

Milder irregularities

Shifts the focus to the severity of the irregularities rather than the amount.

Minor irregularities

Emphasizes the significance or importance of the irregularities.

Reduced number of irregularities

Specifies that the quantity of irregularities has been reduced.

A decline in irregularities

Uses a noun phrase to describe the reduction in irregularities.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "less irregularities"?

The correct way to say "less irregularities" is to use the word "fewer" instead of "less", because "irregularities" is a countable noun. Thus, the correct phrase is "fewer irregularities".

Can I use "less" instead of "fewer"?

"Less" is generally used with uncountable nouns, while "fewer" is used with countable nouns. Since "irregularities" is countable, "fewer irregularities" is the grammatically correct choice.

What are some alternatives to saying "less irregularities" that avoid the grammar issue?

Alternatives to "less irregularities" include "reduced irregularities" or "decreased irregularities". These options do not rely on quantifying a countable noun.

How do I remember when to use "less" vs "fewer"?

A helpful tip is to remember that if you can count the items individually, use "fewer". If you are talking about an amount or a mass that cannot be easily counted, use "less". For example, you would say "fewer errors" but "less effort".