less that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less that" is not correct in standard written English.
It appears to be a typographical error or a misphrasing of "less than." Example: "The cost of the project was less than we anticipated."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

And that's more or less that.

The New York Times

And that is more or less that.

The Guardian - Sport

If my weight is up, I eat less that day.

The New York Times - Science

"The less that was unraveled here the better off they were going to be".

The New York Times - Health

She acknowledges none the less that "the scene is changing rapidly".

The Guardian - Tech

I can barely keep track of my glasses, much less that.

The New York Times

The more the uncertainty is removed the less that is likely".

The Guardian

I think the more people get to know a person, the less that becomes an issue.

The New York Times - Magazine

Even so, Q4 saw some less that hoped for results.

Forbes

The lower the percent value for a given variable, the less that variable affects the prediction.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

Mentally, there was less that seemed extraordinary about Gerrard at first.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "less than" instead of "less that" when making comparisons. For example, "The project cost less than we expected".

Common error

Avoid using "less that" by ensuring you use "than" for comparisons. "That" is typically used to introduce a clause or specify something, while "than" is used to compare.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less that" is incorrect and does not serve a valid grammatical function in standard English. Ludwig AI flags this as an error, suggesting the correct form is "less than" for making comparisons.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less that" is a grammatical error and should be avoided. The correct form is "less than", which is used to make comparisons. As Ludwig AI points out, using the incorrect phrase can lead to confusion. While examples of "less that" appear across various sources, including news and media, its prevalence does not validate its usage. Always use "less than" or other alternatives like "fewer than" and "not as much as" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less than

This is the grammatically correct form, expressing a smaller quantity or degree.

fewer than

Used for countable nouns, indicating a smaller number.

not as much as

Emphasizes a difference in quantity or degree.

smaller than

Focuses on physical size or numerical value.

lower than

Indicates a decrease in position or value.

to a lesser extent than

More formal way to express a reduced degree.

not quite as

Offers a softer way to express comparison.

a reduced amount compared to

Highlights the reduction in quantity explicitly.

a decline relative to

Focuses on the decreasing aspect in a more analytical way.

diminished in comparison to

Emphasizes reduction in comparison to something else.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "less than" in a sentence?

Use "less than" to compare quantities or degrees. For example, "The waiting time was "less than" five minutes".

Is "less that" grammatically correct?

No, "less that" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase to use for comparisons is "less than".

When should I use "fewer than" instead of "less than"?

Use "fewer than" for countable nouns (things you can count individually) and "less than" for uncountable nouns (things you can't count individually). For example, "fewer than five students" and "less than a cup of water".

What are some common mistakes people make when using "less than"?

A common mistake is using "less that" instead of "less than". Always double-check your spelling and grammar to avoid this error.