of equal difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "of equal difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when comparing two or more tasks, challenges, or problems that require a similar level of effort or skill to complete. Example: "Both puzzles are of equal difficulty, making it hard to choose which one to solve first."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Marathons are not held on the track but on roads, and, despite the fact that courses are not of equal difficulty, the International Association of Athletics Federations IAAFF) does list world records for the marathon and also for the half-marathon.

Encyclopedia Britannica

By manipulating the opportunity to choose between tasks of equal difficulty, throughout the motivational process, the effect of autonomy support was examined both behaviorally and electrophysiologically.

International Journal of Psychophysiology

(Remember, the questions were of equal difficulty overall).

Los Angeles Times

When intelligence was not mentioned, they received marks of A's and B's on a math test of equal difficulty.

Huffington Post

However, in this approach all items were considered to be of equal difficulty.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Similarly, summary scoring assumes that all items are of equal difficulty.

BMC Ophthalmology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

We used accuracy data from these participants to create two sets of 120 images of approximately equal difficulty that were counterbalanced across conditions in a within-participant design.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

While I recognize with the fact that women and men are capable of climbing equal difficulty, it is important to still reiterate the first ascents done by women.

Huffington Post

Summary scoring assumes the value of each item represents equal difficulty and therefore scores them equally.

BMC Ophthalmology

Recent and ingenious experiments on dogs show some of the equal difficulties in establishing a role for carotid chemoreceptors in other species.

BioMed Research International

Even if domains of a target are of equal prediction difficulty, the mutual domain arrangement in the target structure may differ from the template.

Database : the journal of biological databases and curation

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing tasks or problems, use "of equal difficulty" to clearly indicate that they require a similar level of effort or skill. For instance, "These two math problems are of equal difficulty, so choose whichever you prefer to start with".

Common error

While "of equal difficulty" can be replaced with similar phrases, ensure the synonym accurately reflects the intended meaning. For example, "of equal complexity" might not always be appropriate if the focus is specifically on the level of challenge rather than the intricacy of the task.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "of equal difficulty" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It indicates that two or more things possess a comparable level of challenge or complexity. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous examples where the phrase directly describes the characteristic of tasks or problems.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "of equal difficulty" serves to indicate that multiple tasks or problems share a similar level of challenge or complexity. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use in various contexts ranging from scientific discussions to news reports. Although the phrase appears uncommonly, it remains a useful tool for precise comparisons. While alternatives such as "equally challenging" or "comparable in difficulty" exist, it's essential to ensure the chosen synonym accurately reflects the intended meaning. Therefore, when precision matters, "of equal difficulty" remains a reliable choice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

equally challenging

Focuses on the challenge aspect of the tasks.

comparable in difficulty

Emphasizes a direct comparison of the difficulty level.

of a similar difficulty level

Adds "level" for emphasis and slight variation.

similar in complexity

Uses "complexity" instead of "difficulty", shifting the focus slightly.

on par in terms of difficulty

A more idiomatic expression indicating similarity in difficulty.

of comparable challenge

Replaces "difficulty" with "challenge".

of equivalent complexity

Uses "equivalent" instead of "equal" and "complexity" instead of "difficulty".

presenting equal challenges

Focuses on the challenges presented.

possessing similar difficulty

More formal phrasing.

uniformly difficult

Indicates a consistent level of difficulty across multiple instances.

FAQs

How can I use "of equal difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "of equal difficulty" to compare tasks or problems. For example: "The two exams were "of equal difficulty", so students performed similarly on both".

What's a good substitute for "of equal difficulty"?

Alternatives include "equally challenging", "comparable in difficulty", or "similar in complexity" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say 'with equal difficulty' instead of "of equal difficulty"?

While 'with equal difficulty' is grammatically correct, it changes the meaning. "Of equal difficulty" describes the inherent challenge, while 'with equal difficulty' describes the manner in which something is done. For example: 'They completed both tasks with equal difficulty', not 'The tasks were with equal difficulty'.

What is the difference between "of equal difficulty" and "of similar difficulty"?

"Of equal difficulty" implies an almost identical level of challenge. "Of similar difficulty" suggests the tasks are close in difficulty but not necessarily identical. The choice depends on the precision you want to convey.