numbers of years

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "numbers of years" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly when one intends to refer to a quantity of years. Example: "The project has been ongoing for a significant number of years."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I meet a decent bank manager I have known for a numbers of years.

The Guardian

The Mets have had the highest payroll — within the top five — for numbers of years.

The New York Times - Sports

Playing with a mentality and physicalness that's been Michigan defense for a numbers of years.

The New York Times

Then, when they were sure I was a keeper, they began offering me contracts with varying numbers of years.

The New York Times - Sports

So rather than simply note whether a president served in the military (most presidents did), they count the numbers of years each president served in both wartime and peacetime.

The New York Times

He went on: "I concede that it's probably my age, but as I approach — what is it Mr. Reagan said the other day, the sunset of my life — I don't see enough that is different from what I experienced X numbers of years ago.

The New York Times

"The idea of transforming from this to that is unrealistic if you think of the size of the defense establishment and the weapons systems we have and the numbers of years, the investments in them and the number of years that they last," he said.

The New York Times

Prior to the development of radiometric methods of dating rocks, the ages of rocks and other geologic features could not be expressed quantitatively, or as numbers of years, but instead were expressed solely in terms of relative ages, in which the age of a particular geologic feature could be expressed as relatively younger or older than other geologic features.

Encyclopedia Britannica

(2) How does regeneration vary after different numbers of years since burning?

Ecological Processes

Age is the logarithm of the numbers of years since the inception.

SERIEs

We counted the numbers of years, from 1966 to 2006, in which each sector had positive export taxes.

Latin American Economic Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the length of a specific event, study or project, it is more grammatically sound to use "the number of years" or "years".

Common error

Avoid using "numbers of years"; it's grammatically incorrect. Instead, use "number of years" or simply "years" to denote a duration.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a measure of duration, attempting to quantify a period. However, according to Ludwig, it is grammatically incorrect in standard English, which prefers "number of years" or "years".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

64%

News & Media

23%

Encyclopedias

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Unknown/unmatched sources

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "numbers of years" is an attempt to quantify time durations, but Ludwig identifies it as grammatically incorrect. Despite its common occurrence across diverse sources like science, news, and encyclopedias, the preferred phrasing is ""number of years"" or simply "years". Usage errors involve incorrect pluralization. While the intent is clear—to denote a period—adhering to standard grammatical conventions enhances clarity and credibility. Using ""number of years"" maintains precision and correctness in both scientific and general contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the number of years

This phrase correctly uses "number" in the singular form, emphasizing a specific quantity of years.

a number of years

Uses "a number of" to express multiple years, aligning closer to the incorrect original phrase.

duration in years

Rephrases the idea by focusing on the length of time measured in years.

period of years

Emphasizes a span or segment of time that is several years long.

years in total

Emphasizes the cumulative amount of years.

several years

Indicates an unspecified quantity of years, suggesting more than a few.

many years

Highlights the quantity of years, implying a considerable amount of time.

length of years

Similar to 'duration', emphasizing the time span in years.

span of years

Indicates a period covering a certain quantity of years.

over the years

Indicates that something has occurred or developed during the time passed.

FAQs

How to use "number of years" correctly in a sentence?

Use "number of years" to refer to a specific quantity of time. For example: "The study spanned "number of years"."

Is it correct to say "numbers of years"?

No, it is generally considered incorrect. The correct phrasing is ""number of years"" or simply "years".

What's the difference between "numbers of years" and "number of years"?

"Numbers of years" is grammatically incorrect. "Number of years" is the correct way to refer to a quantity of years.

Which is better: "number of years" or simply "years"?

Both are acceptable. "Number of years" is more specific, while "years" is more concise and commonly used when the context is clear.