less payments

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less payments" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct term would be "fewer payments," as "fewer" is used for countable nouns. Example: "By switching to a more efficient plan, we can expect fewer payments each month."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Bringing new and exciting functionality to the mobile handset, such as the ability to view and redeem loyalty points, reload gift cards and perform purchases at the point of sale, including contact less payments, is core to our mobile financial services strategy".

TechCrunch

They mainly undertake physical labor work in transportations, constructions, and services with much less payments compared to the registered residents [ 7].

BMC Women's Health

The typical person admitted to a permanent residential care home will cost a local authority over £38,000, less payments due from individuals under the means test.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

At a moral level, they don't deserve indemnification, much less payment of such princely sums".

The New York Times

"The more government intervention you have, the less payment you have," said Mr. Funtleyder, the analyst.

The New York Times

First, investors become more confident that equities will beat bonds so are willing to take less payment upfront (eg a lower dividend yield).

The Economist

A small number would receive less payment; however, there are options to increase this, through offering greater flexibility, providing more placements, or demonstrating skills that qualify for a higher fee".

The Guardian

GPs valuing less payment can indeed be explained in an intrinsic motivation framework, among others.

Health Economics Review

From the definitions in (5) and (6), it can be concluded that less payment means shifting more demand to hours with lower price while more consumption way satisfaction means less energy consumption to be shifted.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

I don't have a mortgage and living in an RV provides one less payment we have to make at the end of the month.

Huffington Post

We found patients with higher income (> 2000 CNY/month) had 23% less payment from their pocket in comparison to those with lower income.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to countable items like payments, use "fewer" instead of "less". For example, instead of saying "less payments", say "fewer payments".

Common error

Avoid using "less" when referring to countable items such as payments. "Less" is used for uncountable nouns, while "fewer" is used for countable nouns. Always use "fewer payments" or rephrase using "lower payments" to ensure grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less payments" functions as a noun phrase attempting to describe a reduction in the number of payments. Ludwig AI identifies the phrase as grammatically incorrect. This usage aims to express a state of having fewer payments due or made.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

37%

Wiki

26%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "less payments" appears relatively often across various sources, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect. The proper way to express this concept is to use "fewer payments", as "fewer" should be used with countable nouns. Alternatively, "lower payments" or "reduced payments" can serve as appropriate substitutes. To maintain professionalism and grammatical accuracy, it is best to avoid using "less payments" in formal writing or speech.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fewer payments

Replaces "less" with "fewer" to correct the grammatical error when referring to countable items.

lower payments

Substitutes "less" with "lower" to describe the amount of payments.

reduced payments

Uses "reduced" to indicate a decrease in the amount of payments.

smaller payments

Employs "smaller" to describe the size or amount of payments.

decreased payments

Uses "decreased" to express a reduction in the payments.

more affordable payments

Replaces "less" with "more affordable" to focus on the financial impact of payments.

more manageable payments

Suggests that payments are easier to handle or deal with.

cheaper payments

Uses the adjective "cheaper" to mean less expensive.

less frequent payments

Focuses on reducing the number of payment instances.

diminished payments

Suggests a gradual reduction in payments.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "less payments"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. When referring to countable items like payments, the correct term is "fewer payments".

What's the difference between "less" and "fewer"?

"Less" is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water), while "fewer" is used for countable nouns (e.g., fewer payments).

What can I say instead of "less payments" to sound more professional?

To sound more professional, use "lower payments" or "reduced payments".

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

A helpful tip is to ask yourself if you can count the item. If you can count them individually (payments, apples, cars), use "fewer". If you can't (water, sand, time), use "less".