small age

USAGE SUMMARY

The expression 'small age' is technically correct, but it is not really used in written English. It can be used to suggest that someone is young or inexperienced, but it is more commonly used in spoken English. For example: "She's a talented singer for such a small age."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

He added, "The fact that it's concentrated in one small age group makes it worse, and even more likely that it's an aberration".

The New York Times

In our small age group, age was not significantly associated with telomere length across tissue types, nor were there any linear correlations within tissue types and age.

Journal of Voice

His is a small age category; only four runners at the age of 80 or older are registered, race officials said, including Dr. Koide and another Westchester resident, Mort Kail, 80, of Eastchester.

The New York Times

We therefore studied facial emotion recognition in young children with ASD across a small age range, in order to determine (1) their ability to recognize emotion and (2) the developmental trajectory of this ability.

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Adequate concentrations were associated with small age (p = 0.048).

Annals of Intensive Care

I've trained from such a small age to do that and to win a medal.

BBC

Note that there is a mass of students with a large age-grade distortion on low scores when compared to those with a small age distortion.

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

"It's such a small age difference but it's such a huge difference in money". Ben says that he and his sister don't talk about the difference too much, because it annoys him.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

Further restricting the SAEB data to those with a small age-grade distortion, so that it resembles our sample, the average test score becomes slightly higher for those born in December than for those born in January.

IZA Journal of Labor Economics

Starting at a young age, he would go to work with his father and help out with small, age-appropriate tasks.

Huffington Post

"There is now early evidence -- not at all definitive -- that shows somewhat better outcomes for kids who are not in these very small age-range schools," Meisels said.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a specific numerical age, use "young age" or "early age" for better clarity. For example: "She started playing piano at a young age of 5".

Common error

Avoid using "small age" when referring to a minor age difference between individuals. Instead, opt for "slight age difference" or "minimal age gap".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "small age" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "small" modifies the noun "age". It typically serves to describe the youthfulness or relative immaturity of a person or thing. As noted by Ludwig, the phrase is technically correct and used across varied writing from science to the news.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "small age" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression, particularly in scientific and news contexts, to denote youth or a limited age range. Ludwig highlights its technical correctness, although alternatives like "young age" or "early age" may be more prevalent in general usage. While "small age" effectively conveys the idea of youthfulness, it's important to consider context and choose the most appropriate alternative for clarity and impact. Common writing errors involve using it interchangeably with "slight age difference", which has a distinct meaning. Remember to use "small age" when you need to emphasize the immaturity or limited experience associated with youth.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

young age

Replaces "small" with a more common synonym, emphasizing youth.

youthful age

Adds a descriptive adjective to highlight the characteristic of being young.

early age

Focuses on the initial stage of life.

tender age

Emphasizes vulnerability and lack of experience.

minor age

Highlights the legal status of being underage.

narrow age range

Shifts the focus to a restricted interval in age.

limited age

Stresses the restricted number of years.

young years

Uses a different noun to refer to the period of youth.

infant years

Implies the earliest years of life.

developing years

Highlights the growth and maturation processes during youth.

FAQs

How to use "small age" in a sentence?

"Small age" is often used to emphasize youth or a limited age range. For instance, "Despite his "small age", he demonstrated remarkable maturity."

What can I say instead of "small age"?

You can use alternatives like "young age", "early age", or "tender age" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "small age" or "young age"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but "young age" is more commonly used and generally preferred in written English.

What's the difference between "small age range" and "narrow age range"?

Both "small age range" and "narrow age range" refer to a limited span of ages, but "narrow age range" might subtly emphasize the restricted nature of the range.