roughly the same size as

USAGE SUMMARY

"roughly the same size as" is a correct phrase in written English.
You can use it when comparing two items in terms of size. For example, "The house was roughly the same size as the barn."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As couples surely know, a car is roughly the same size as a queen-sized bed.

The New York Times

Sony's model is roughly the same size as Panasonic's version.

The New York Times - Tech

The switch in one year is roughly the same size as the total US wind generation.

The Guardian

We were roughly the same size as Sky, they're now twice the size of us.

The Guardian

The hall would be roughly the same size as the great hall in Grand Central Terminal.

The New York Times

Fortunately, the trim Mr. Scott is roughly the same size as Offset.

The New York Times - Style

The forecasts assume that government will remain roughly the same size as a proportion of GDP.

The Washington Post

The Moon always appears roughly the same size as the Sun even on days when we do not see eclipses.

Cornell University

The rat genetic code is roughly the same size as the human one, with about three billion letters.

The New York Times

The game has around 60 million players worldwide – that's roughly the same size as the population of the UK.

The Guardian - Tech

My eyes are roughly the same size as each other and last time I checked were smaller than my feet.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To improve clarity, follow "roughly the same size as" with a specific unit of measurement or a well-known reference point. For example, "The new park is roughly the same size as Central Park."

Common error

Avoid using "roughly the same size as" when a more precise measurement or comparison is readily available. If the size difference is negligible, stating that the items are "the same size" may be more accurate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly the same size as" functions as a comparative prepositional phrase. It connects two nouns, indicating that they share a similar size. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

18%

Science

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "roughly the same size as" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to draw comparisons between the dimensions of different objects or entities. Ludwig AI confirms its wide applicability. As demonstrated by Ludwig's examples, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts but is also present in academic and scientific writing. When using this phrase, ensure that the comparison is meaningful and that the level of precision is appropriate for the context. More precise language may be necessary for some situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately the same size as

Replaces "roughly" with "approximately", indicating a slightly more precise estimate.

about the same size as

Substitutes "roughly" with "about", providing a more general comparison.

nearly the same size as

Replaces "roughly" with "nearly", suggesting a closer similarity in size.

almost the same size as

Similar to 'nearly', but emphasizes a slight difference.

of equivalent size to

Uses the word "equivalent" to specify that the things have the same size or volume.

of comparable size to

Uses a more formal tone to indicate similarity in size.

similar in size to

A more direct and concise way of expressing size similarity.

in a similar scale as

This phrase is more focused on the scale and magnitude.

in the same ballpark as

An idiomatic expression indicating an approximate similarity in size or scale.

on par with

Implies that two things are equal or similar.

FAQs

How can I use "roughly the same size as" in a sentence?

You can use "roughly the same size as" to compare the dimensions of two objects, indicating they are of similar size. For instance, "The new building is "roughly the same size as the old one"".

What are some alternatives to "roughly the same size as"?

Alternatives include "approximately the same size as", "about the same size as", or "nearly the same size as", depending on the desired level of precision.

Is it correct to say "almost the same size as" instead of "roughly the same size as"?

Yes, "almost the same size as" is a correct alternative. Both phrases indicate a high degree of similarity in size, but "almost" suggests an even smaller difference than "roughly".

What's the difference between "roughly the same size as" and "exactly the same size as"?

"Roughly the same size as" implies an approximate similarity, while "exactly the same size as" indicates an identical size. Use "roughly" when there may be slight variations, and "exactly" when the sizes are identical.