may vary less

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "may vary less" is not standard in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in contexts where you want to indicate that something has a smaller range of variation compared to something else, but it is not commonly phrased this way. Example: "The results of this experiment may vary less than those of previous studies, indicating a more consistent outcome."

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But data from the last few years suggests that manufacturing employment may vary less in the summer than it once did, Mr. O'Sullivan said.

The New York Times

We hypothesized that in older patients with longer duration of the disease and with the use of insulin, the RR of hypoglycemia may be much higher at low HbA1c levels (<6%) compared with reference (7 7.9%) than in younger patients with shorter diabetes duration or with the use of noninsulin-based therapies, in whom the RR of hypoglycemia may vary less by HbA1c level.

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The redundancy in phylogenetic trees means that ED scores may often vary less (and have less of an effect on the metrics) than prob(extinction), though this will vary greatly among clades.

Plosone

The length of the fabricated CTSs varies from sub-micron to tens of microns, while the diameter and wall-thickness may vary from less than ten nanometers to over a hundred nanometers and few nanometers to tens of nanometers, respectively.

Carbon

For example, the observed wage per day may vary much less between a firm where (for some exogenous reasons) absenteeism is common and one where it is rare than does the estimate from our wage regression.

Health Economics Review

Tritium concentrations in the groundwater range from 12 to 2.3 TU, indicating that groundwater residence times may vary from less than 1 year to in excess of 30 years.

Applied Water Science

Cells in such clonal patches are more related to each other compared to cells from other patches, but even within patches, the time of a common ancestor between any two adult cells may vary from less than a day to a lifetime.

BMC Gastroenterology

But in real practice, YMMV, as they say on the interwebs -- your mileage may vary; adherence is less certain, evaluation can be less systematic, and follow-up more sporadic.

Forbes

In contrast, the GoLoco motif appears to be exclusive to metazoans and choanoflagellates (figs. 2 and 3), and although its copy number may vary, it is less abundant than RGS.

Genome Biology and Evolution

This means that the performance of the techniques may vary when more or less test cases fail.

Journal of Software Engineering Research and Development

Clams may also be harvested from boats, which may vary in size between less than 1 tonne and up to 12 tonnes.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, consider using more common alternatives like "may be more consistent" or "might fluctuate less" to avoid potential confusion.

Common error

While not strictly incorrect, "may vary less" can sound awkward. In formal contexts, opt for alternatives such as "may exhibit greater stability" to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "may vary less" functions as a qualifier, suggesting a potential reduction in the degree of variation. As Ludwig AI suggests, the phrase is not standard, meaning that while grammatically sound, it might not be the most common or immediately clear way to express the idea of reduced variation.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

66%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "may vary less" is used to express that something might exhibit a smaller range of differences or changes. While grammatically acceptable, Ludwig indicates that it is not a standard phrase and may be better replaced with clearer alternatives like "may be more consistent". It is most commonly found in scientific and news contexts. Though understandable, opting for clearer alternatives will improve the readability and impact of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

may be more consistent

Emphasizes consistency as opposed to reduced variation.

might fluctuate less

Replaces "vary" with "fluctuate", suggesting a more dynamic type of variation.

may not change as much

Uses simpler vocabulary to convey the same meaning.

may exhibit less fluctuation

More formal phrasing that emphasizes the degree of fluctuation.

may demonstrate greater stability

Focuses on stability rather than reduced variation.

may show less deviation

Replaces "vary" with "deviation", highlighting the extent of departure from a norm.

may be relatively stable

Highlights the relative stability compared to another scenario.

may remain more constant

Emphasizes the constancy of the thing observed.

may not differ significantly

Highlights the lack of significant differences.

may have a narrower range

Focuses on the range within which the thing is varying.

FAQs

What does "may vary less" mean?

The phrase "may vary less" suggests that something is likely to exhibit a smaller range of differences or changes compared to something else. It implies a higher degree of consistency or stability.

How can I use "may vary less" in a sentence?

You can use "may vary less" to compare the variability of two things. For example: "The results of this experiment "may vary less" than those of previous studies, indicating a more consistent outcome."

Which is a better alternative, "may vary less" or "may be more consistent"?

"May be more consistent" is generally a better alternative because it is clearer and more straightforward. While "May vary less" is acceptable, it is less common and could be misinterpreted.

What is the difference between "may vary less" and "may not change as much"?

The phrase "may not change as much" is a more general statement indicating that something is unlikely to undergo significant alteration. "May vary less" specifically implies a reduced range of variation compared to a previous state or another subject.