per person

USAGE SUMMARY

"per person" is a perfectly acceptable phrase in English, and is often used in writing.
For example, you could say "The cost is $20 per person."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

From €19 per person.

Independent

Costs £85 per person.

Independent

From $8 per person.

The New York Times - Travel

$450 per person.

The New Yorker

Price £632 per person.

Independent

Prices are per person.

Independent

Breakfast €6 per person.

Independent

(Cost: $20 per person).

The New York Times

£40 per person.

Independent

Cost is $60 per person.

The New York Times - Travel

GDP per person will drop.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "per person" to clearly state costs, amounts, or allocations applicable to each individual in a group or calculation. This avoids ambiguity and ensures everyone understands the individual share or responsibility.

Common error

Avoid stating a total cost without specifying that it's "per person". For example, instead of saying 'The cost is $50', clarify with 'The cost is $50 per person' to prevent misunderstanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "per person" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or verb, indicating the distribution, cost, or amount attributed to each individual. This is consistent with Ludwig's validation, highlighting its direct and clarifying role.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Academia

28%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "per person" is a grammatically correct and frequently used prepositional phrase to express costs, quantities, or responsibilities applicable to each individual. As verified by Ludwig, its primary function is to clarify individual allocations, thereby avoiding ambiguity. It appears most often in news, academic, and general contexts, maintaining a neutral register suitable for both formal and informal communication. For alternative phrasing, one might consider "each individual" or "for each person", although "per person" remains the most concise and widely accepted. To ensure clarity in writing, it's advisable to always specify amounts as "per person" rather than assuming the audience will understand that the amount applies to a single person. The examples provided by Ludwig show that this phrase is commonly used in a variety of situations and writing styles.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

For each person

Emphasizes the allocation for every person.

A person

Shorter version to define how much is needed/requested for a single entity.

Each individual

Focuses on each person separately.

Per head

An informal way to say "per person".

Per capita

A more formal term indicating the average per person.

For every individual

Stresses that something applies to all persons.

Individually

Highlights the separate consideration of each person.

Per member

Specifies the cost or allocation for each member of a group.

On an individual basis

Emphasizes the separate handling of each person.

Each

Concise way to indicate distribution to individuals.

FAQs

How to use "per person" in a sentence?

Use "per person" to specify an amount, cost, or quantity that applies to each individual. For example, "The tickets are $25 "per person"".

What can I say instead of "per person"?

You can use alternatives like "each individual", "for each person", or "per capita" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "per person" or "for each person"?

Both ""per person"" and "for each person" are correct, but "per person" is more concise and commonly used.

What's the difference between "per person" and "per capita"?

"Per person" refers to individuals directly, while "per capita" typically refers to an average calculated across an entire population.