man-hours

USAGE SUMMARY

"man-hours" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to quantify the amount of work performed by one person in one hour. For example, "The project required 200 man-hours to complete." Alternative expressions include "work hours" and "labor hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

39 human-written examples

The man-hours that go into living like this.

The New York Times - Books

It takes 160 man-hours to make this bed.

The New York Times

I cannot imagine the man-hours it took.

The New Yorker

"We must have put in 600 man-hours.

The New York Times

I hate to tell you how many man-hours we've spent talking this stuff through.

The New York Times

– Union crews worked more than 20,000 man-hours before Sunday's session.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

The company has spent years of man hours and billions of pounds developing these engines.

Independent

So it wasn't really countless man hours.

TechCrunch

The standard man hours can be set up in a computerized estimating system and the piping man hours are calculated using the unit quantity method.

Industrial Piping and Equipment Estimating Manual

TC: How many "man hours" did this take for design?

TechCrunch

"It takes hundreds of man hours," he said.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting on project costs or efficiency, use "man-hours" to provide a clear understanding of the labor investment involved.

Common error

Avoid using "man-hours" in contexts where the audience may not understand the term. Provide a brief explanation or use a more general term like "work hours" to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "man-hours" functions as a noun, typically used to quantify the amount of work done by one person in one hour. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and usable in written English. The examples provided by Ludwig AI show its function is to measure labor investment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

43%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "man-hours" is a grammatically correct and frequently used noun phrase to quantify the amount of work done. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. While the phrase remains common, more inclusive alternatives like "person-hours" are increasingly favored to avoid gender-specific language. Usage contexts span news media, science, and business, reflecting its broad applicability in project management and resource allocation. When using "man-hours", ensure your audience understands its meaning, and consider alternatives when inclusivity is a priority.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

work hours

This alternative is a more concise and modern term for describing the time spent on a task.

labor hours

This alternative emphasizes the human effort involved, similar to "man-hours".

person-hours

This alternative is a gender-neutral term that conveys the same meaning as "man-hours".

staff hours

This term refers to the total time contributed by staff members to a project.

employee hours

This alternative specifies that the time is contributed by employees.

time investment

This phrase highlights the time allocated to a project or task.

effort expended

This alternative emphasizes the effort required to complete a task.

total workload

This term refers to the overall amount of work required for a project.

project duration

This phrase specifies the length of time required for a project, but it does not specify the amount of workers.

human resources allocation

This phrase emphasizes the distribution of human resources required for a project or task.

FAQs

How do I calculate "man-hours" for a project?

To calculate "man-hours", multiply the number of people working on a task by the number of hours they each work. For example, 5 people working for 8 hours each would result in 40 "man-hours".

What is a more inclusive alternative to "man-hours"?

A more inclusive alternative to "man-hours" is "person-hours", which avoids gender-specific language.

When is it appropriate to use "man-hours" in technical documentation?

"Man-hours" can be used when quantifying the effort needed for a project. However, always consider if "work hours" or "labor hours" could be more descriptive and understandable for a broader audience.

How can I use "man-hours" to improve project planning?

You can track "man-hours" to assess the time and resource allocation, predict future project timelines, and optimize workflow by comparing planned versus actual hours.