sporadically

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "sporadically" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that happens occasionally and irregularly. For example: "The rain has been falling sporadically throughout the week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Over the four decades since, Ebola has emerged sporadically, each time to devastating effect.

The Guardian

It was only sporadically inhabited and had grown grimy with neglect.

The Guardian - Books

He returned to performance in 1989, but only sporadically, and many critics detected the embers of a diminished and unfulfilled talent.

The Guardian - Music

In the short space of four Tests, Australia have gone through an evolution it took their opponents 10 years to travel: from clueless whipping boys (early 90s England) to sporadically competitive whipping boys (early 2000s England).

The Guardian - Sport

My family has become a three-pronged unit, but it only seems sensible to sporadically acknowledge that two of those prongs are adult human beings who are capable of more than just feeding and shushing and wiping.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Where possible, show people that you've been watching by sporadically feeding the terms "D'oh", "Ay caramba" and "Okily-dokily" into your sermons.

The Guardian

Instead Bayern were troubled only sporadically.

The Guardian - Sport

It begins with ten questions that appear in surveys carried out sporadically by USAID, America's aid agency, and Unicef.

The Economist

This leaves foreign companies wary of opening big plants, despite Egypt's ample labour supply.Egypt's new wealth is trickling down only sporadically.

The Economist

In the cities the young have taken to the streets only sporadically.

The Economist

Promises of big investment have largely failed to materialise, as oil income has been siphoned to the national capital, Sana'a, and, it is said, into the pockets of Mr Saleh's friends.Demonstrations and riots, erupting sporadically across the south since 2007, have been crushed with growing brutality.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sporadically" to describe events or actions that lack a predictable pattern or consistent frequency. This helps convey the irregular nature of the occurrence.

Common error

Avoid using "sporadically" when you actually mean "regularly" or "consistently". "Sporadically" implies an irregular and infrequent occurrence, not a habitual one.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "sporadically" is to act as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the frequency or pattern of an action or state. Ludwig AI's analysis and the provided examples support this adverbial usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Formal & Business

21%

Science

21%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sporadically" functions as an adverb to describe actions occurring at irregular intervals. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in written English. It's commonly found in news, media, and business contexts, denoting a neutral formality level. When using "sporadically", ensure you're accurately conveying the lack of a predictable pattern, differentiating it from similar terms like "occasionally" or "regularly". Remember, the best practice is to employ "sporadically" to indicate unpredictable occurrences, and avoid confusing it with terms implying consistency. Several alternatives, such as "intermittently" and "occasionally", can be used depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intermittently

This suggests a stopping and starting pattern with periods of inactivity.

occasionally

This implies that something happens now and then, but not very often.

infrequently

This emphasizes the rarity of the occurrences.

irregularly

This focuses on the lack of a fixed pattern or schedule.

periodically

This implies recurrence at generally predictable intervals, though those intervals may be long.

at intervals

This refers to actions occurring with separation in time or space.

now and then

This suggests a less formal and more conversational tone for occasional events.

on occasion

This alternative highlights the incidental or circumstantial nature of events.

once in a while

This phrase denotes a low frequency, emphasizing the rarity of the event.

from time to time

This suggests occurrences that are not part of a regular series but happen at unpredictable moments.

FAQs

How do you use "sporadically" in a sentence?

Use "sporadically" to indicate that something occurs at irregular intervals. For example, "The internet connection worked "sporadically" during the storm".

What words can I use instead of "sporadically"?

You can use alternatives such as "intermittently", "occasionally", or "infrequently" to convey a similar meaning.

What's the difference between "sporadically" and "occasionally"?

"Sporadically" emphasizes the irregularity and lack of pattern, while "occasionally" simply means 'now and then' without necessarily implying unpredictability.

Is it correct to say something happens "sporadically"?

Yes, it is correct. "Sporadically" is an adverb that describes something happening at irregular intervals. Ludwig AI also confirms its proper usage.