reliable to

USAGE SUMMARY

"reliable to" is not correct and usable in written English.
To make it correct, you would need to add either a verb after "reliable" or a preposition after "to," such as "reliable in" or "reliable for." For example: The company has shown itself to be reliable in providing excellent customer service.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Missile defenses have to be highly reliable to be effective.

The New York Times

Quinn's core Latino support is less reliable to show-up.

The Guardian - Opinion

It would be cheaper and more reliable to toss a coin.

The Guardian - Opinion

"If they have overindulged, you're dealing with someone who is not very reliable to begin with".

The New York Times

What made her scary to writers made her reliable to readers: you couldn't easily predict where her favor would fall.

The New Yorker

Memories need to be reliable to guide behavior, but they also need to be open to new information.

The New York Times - Health

In the space of just a few decades, transplant surgery has become safe and reliable (to say nothing of miraculous).

The New York Times - Magazine

But the prototype system now being tested has not yet been shown to be sufficiently reliable to protect American cities.

The New York Times

On "The Voice," she was reliable to a fault with her Pam Tillis and Carrie Underwood covers: clean, crisp, dull.

The New York Times - Arts

Economics is great at "explaining" the past, but has nothing even remotely reliable to say about the future.

The New York Times

This involves putting money, property and other assets into an independent legal entity and designating someone reliable to manage it.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for precision, substitute "reliable to" with grammatically sound alternatives such as "reliable in" or "reliable for", depending on the intended context. For example, use "reliable in providing data" or "reliable for long-term use".

Common error

Avoid using "reliable to" because it is not grammatically correct in standard English. Opt for correct prepositions like "in" or "for" to ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reliable to" functions as an adjectival phrase attempting to describe the characteristic of being dependable or trustworthy in relation to something. However, as pointed out by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incorrect, and thus does not fulfill its intended function effectively.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

39%

News & Media

36%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "reliable to" appears frequently, as per Ludwig's analysis, it's grammatically incorrect. The correct alternatives, depending on the context, are "reliable in" or "reliable for". Although its intended meaning—expressing dependability—is often clear, using the correct preposition enhances clarity and credibility, making it suitable for diverse contexts, particularly in formal writing. When in doubt, always opt for the grammatically sound options to ensure your writing is both clear and professional.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reliable in

Replaces 'to' with 'in' to create a grammatically correct prepositional phrase.

reliable for

Replaces 'to' with 'for' to indicate the purpose or beneficiary of the reliability.

dependable for

Substitutes 'reliable' with 'dependable' while using the preposition 'for'.

trustworthy for

Replaces 'reliable' with 'trustworthy', indicating an ability to be trusted for a specific purpose.

can be relied upon

Uses a passive construction to express reliability, focusing on the action of relying.

reliable when it comes to

Adds a qualifier to specify the area where reliability is applicable.

consistent in

Emphasizes consistent performance, using 'consistent' as an alternative.

accurate in

Focuses on accuracy as a form of reliability, using 'accurate' instead.

steadfast in

Indicates unwavering reliability or loyalty in a particular context.

unfailing in

Highlights the consistent and never-failing aspect of reliability.

FAQs

How can I correct the phrase "reliable to" in a sentence?

Replace "reliable to" with alternatives like "reliable in" or "reliable for" depending on the context. For example, "The system is reliable in providing accurate data" or "The tool is reliable for measuring small quantities".

What are some alternatives to "reliable to" that I can use?

Depending on the specific meaning you want to convey, you can use phrases like "dependable in", "trustworthy for", or "can be relied upon".

Is "reliable to" grammatically correct?

No, "reliable to" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct forms are usually "reliable in" or "reliable for".

When should I use "reliable in" versus "reliable for"?

"Reliable in" is used to describe what something is good at or consistent with, while "reliable for" is used to describe the purpose or benefit for which something is reliable. For example, a system is "reliable in providing data", and a tool is "reliable for long-term use".