somewhat much

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'somewhat much' is not correct English usage.
If you want to express a greater degree of something, you should use 'somewhat more' or 'quite a bit more' instead. For example, "I've already done quite a bit more work than required."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

With about 2.5 million viewers a day, it immediately exceeded the other freshman talk shows, but its ratings have slipped somewhat, much to the chagrin of Ms. Couric.

The New York Times

In this problem, those groups with connected prime graphs are somewhat much difficult to be solved.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

Under higher stringency conditions (a lower buffer concentration, in this case, 0.5 × SSC), the reduced level of hybridization can be observed for both targets, but for the less complementary oligonucleotides, it was somewhat much stronger (Fig. 2b).

Nanoscale Research Letters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The response alternatives are: not at all, hardly, somewhat, fairly, much and very much.

BMC Public Health

At 18 weeks of gestation, 61.1% of women reported about the same levels of physical activity as other women of her age, 12.2% being somewhat or much less active, and 25.6% being much or somewhat more active.

European Journal of Epidemiology

Mary Elizabeth Sell and Devin Alberda offered a zestier attack as the Hot Chocolate leads, though Mr. Alberda pushed somewhat too much at moments.

The New York Times - Arts

Some 57% felt that today the business environment in America is somewhat or much better than the global average; only 15% said it was worse.

The Economist

Revaluation would reduce it somewhat, but much of the imbalance in the Sino-American relationship stems from structural factors on both sides, which would persist.

The Economist

The nutritional evidence both for and against raw milk is somewhat sketchy; much of it dates from before the Second World War, when raw milk was still legal.

The New Yorker

Times have changed somewhat, with much greater public awareness of the toll of treatable diseases and the high price of medicines in developing countries.

The Guardian

Though recent inflation figures were "somewhat elevated", much of this was due to a spike in oil prices, which the Fed hopes will not be repeated and trusts will not lead to higher inflationary expectations.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "somewhat much" in formal writing. Opt for alternatives like "slightly more", "a bit more", or "somewhat greater" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Don't combine "somewhat" directly with "much" as they don't typically collocate well. Instead, use "somewhat" with comparative adjectives (e.g., "somewhat better", "somewhat larger") or replace the entire phrase with a more standard construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "somewhat much" is generally intended to function as an adverbial modifier indicating degree. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is not grammatically correct in standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

66%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "somewhat much" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, it's best to avoid this phrase in favor of more standard alternatives such as "slightly more", "somewhat greater", or "a bit more", depending on the desired level of formality. Although some instances of this phrase appear in sources like The New York Times and scientific publications, these are likely errors or non-standard usages, and adhering to conventional grammatical structures is recommended for clear and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat greater

Emphasizes a greater degree, maintaining a similar level of formality to "somewhat".

slightly greater

Similar to 'slightly more' but used when comparing sizes or amounts.

somewhat higher

Focuses on an increase in level or value.

slightly more

Replaces "somewhat much" with a direct comparison indicating a small increase.

slightly better

Indicates a small degree of improvement.

moderately more

More formal, indicating a medium increase.

a bit more

Uses a more informal expression to convey a small increase or difference.

a little more

Informal, indicating a small increase.

to some extent

Indicates a partial effect or influence, replacing the direct comparison.

rather more

British English, indicating a notable increase.

FAQs

Is "somewhat much" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "somewhat much" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Consider using alternatives such as "slightly more" or "somewhat greater" instead.

What are some alternatives to "somewhat much"?

Depending on the context, you can replace "somewhat much" with phrases like "a bit more", "to some extent", or "moderately more".

How can I use "somewhat" correctly in a sentence?

Use "somewhat" to modify adjectives or adverbs, such as "somewhat better", "somewhat smaller", or "somewhat surprisingly". Avoid directly pairing it with "much".

What is the difference between "somewhat much" and "somewhat more"?

"Somewhat much" is not standard English usage. "Somewhat more" is grammatically correct and means 'slightly more'. Therefore, using "somewhat more" is the correct choice.