proportion than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "proportion than" is not correct and usable in written English.
It seems to be a mistaken combination of words, possibly intended to compare proportions, but it lacks clarity and grammatical correctness. Example: "The ratio of students to teachers is greater in this school than..."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

This is a smaller proportion than expected.

The Guardian - Opinion

This is a higher proportion than in the US.

The Guardian - Opinion

"This is a much higher proportion than Android and iOS.

Independent

— a higher proportion than found in the general population.

The New York Times - Health

However, 22% of these musicians were privately educated - a higher proportion than university vice-chancellors (20%).

The Guardian

Wells has categorized only half of them as impaired, a much smaller proportion than some rivals.

The New York Times

"This negative absorption is greater in proportion than we've seen for many, many years".

The New York Times

This is a higher proportion than any other comparable institution in the UK.

The Guardian

That's a notably greater proportion than the black (35%), Asian (30%) and white (27%) communities.

The Guardian

This is a higher proportion than in the US, where the figure is around 9%.

The Guardian - Opinion

Fewer than 5percentt of Denmark's 5.3 million people are foreigners, a smaller proportion than in many European countries.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing proportions, ensure that you use grammatically correct constructions such as "higher proportion compared to", "greater proportion than", or "proportion in relation to" for clarity and accuracy.

Common error

Do not use the phrase "proportion than" as it is grammatically incorrect. Always specify what you are comparing the proportion to using phrases like "compared to" or "in relation to".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "proportion than" functions as part of a comparative structure, aiming to express a relationship between two quantities or sets. However, it is grammatically incomplete. Ludwig's analysis indicates that the phrase requires a completing term like "compared to" to form a correct comparison.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "proportion than" appears frequently across diverse sources such as News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business, it is grammatically incorrect and requires a completion such as "compared to" or "in relation to". As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase, in its incomplete form, fails to meet grammatical standards, and while its intent is comparative, its structure is flawed. Therefore, it's advisable to use grammatically correct alternatives to ensure clarity and accuracy in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

proportion compared to

Replaces 'than' with 'compared to' to explicitly indicate a comparison.

proportion in relation to

Uses 'in relation to' instead of 'than' to specify the entity being compared to.

higher proportion than

Adds the adjective 'higher' to emphasize the greater amount.

greater proportion than

Employs 'greater' as an alternative to 'higher', stressing the larger quantity.

smaller proportion than

Uses 'smaller' to indicate a lesser amount compared to something else.

larger proportion than

Substitutes 'larger' for 'higher' to highlight the increased quantity.

proportion as opposed to

Replaces 'than' with 'as opposed to' to contrast the two proportions being compared.

proportion versus

Uses 'versus' to directly contrast the proportions.

share compared to

Switches "proportion" with "share", to use a synonym concept, while keeping the comparison "compared to".

percentage compared to

Switches "proportion" with "percentage", to use a synonym concept, while keeping the comparison "compared to".

FAQs

How can I correctly compare proportions in a sentence?

Instead of using the grammatically incorrect phrase "proportion than", use alternatives like "proportion compared to", "higher proportion than", or "proportion in relation to" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.

What are some alternatives to the phrase "proportion than"?

Grammatically sound alternatives include "proportion compared to", "share compared to", and "percentage compared to". These options provide a clearer and more accurate comparison.

Which is correct: "proportion than" or "proportion compared to"?

The correct phrase is "proportion compared to". The phrase "proportion than" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing.

When should I use "higher proportion than" versus "smaller proportion than"?

Use "higher proportion than" when the first proportion is greater, and use "smaller proportion than" when the first proportion is lesser. The choice depends on whether you are emphasizing an increase or a decrease.