thousands of hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'thousands of hours' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to emphasize the amount of time that has been taken up by an activity or process, for example: "I have spent thousands of hours revising for my exams."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It demanded thousands of hours of fundraising.

Princeton University

Graduates, you have studied for thousands of hours on end.

The New Yorker

NBC will stream thousands of hours of Olympics video online.

The New York Times - Sports

Speech recognition systems are typically trained on thousands of hours of transcribed audio.

University of California, Berkeley

I dissected human brains and I spend thousands of hours looking down microscopes.

University of California, Berkeley

He has since spent thousands of hours programming to upgrade and improve it.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

That adds up to thousands of hours of listening, advising, introducing, editing, critiquing, and shoring up.

Duke University

It involved training an artificial intelligence system using thousands of hours of BBC News programmes.

BBC

We spent thousands of hours and three years litigating it.

Los Angeles Times

Together, they clocked in thousands of hours.

The New York Times

We have thousands of hours of video.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "thousands of hours" to emphasize the sheer volume of time dedicated to a task, study, or activity. It's effective when illustrating commitment, practice, or the complexity of a process.

Common error

Avoid using "thousands of hours" when a more precise or smaller unit of time would be more accurate and credible. Overstating the time commitment can diminish the impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thousands of hours" functions as a quantifier, specifically indicating a large amount of time. According to Ludwig, it emphasizes the extensive duration dedicated to an activity, study, or process.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Academia

28%

Science

14%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "thousands of hours" is a common and grammatically sound way to express a substantial commitment of time. Ludwig AI confirms its usability and correctness across diverse contexts, as evidenced by its prevalence in news, academic, and scientific sources. While alternatives like "countless hours" or "significant time" exist, "thousands of hours" specifically quantifies the time investment, emphasizing scale and intensity. It’s crucial to use this phrase accurately, avoiding overstatement, to maintain credibility. Ludwig's analysis indicates that it is frequently used in News & Media and Academia.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

countless hours

Emphasizes the inability to count the hours due to the large number, differing in its focus on immeasurability.

innumerable hours

Similar to 'countless hours', highlighting the vastness of the time spent but with a slightly more formal tone.

substantial time

Focuses on the significant amount of time without specifying the exact quantity in hours.

considerable time

Similar to 'substantial time', indicating a notable duration invested in something.

extended period

Indicates a long, unspecified duration, differing in that it doesn't directly quantify time in hours.

prolonged duration

Like 'extended period', it highlights the length of time but is more formal.

lengthy timeframe

Implies a notable amount of time, presented in a more descriptive manner.

significant time investment

Shifts the focus to the investment aspect of time, emphasizing the importance of the time spent.

a great deal of time

Expresses a large quantity of time in a more general, less precise manner.

years of effort

Highlights the dedication and effort involved over an extended period, implicitly including many hours.

FAQs

How can I use "thousands of hours" in a sentence?

You can use "thousands of hours" to describe a significant time investment, such as "He spent "thousands of hours" practicing the piano" or "The project required "thousands of hours" of research".

What are some alternatives to saying "thousands of hours"?

Alternatives include "countless hours", "innumerable hours", or "significant time" depending on the context.

Is it more impactful to say "thousands of hours" or "years"?

It depends on the context. "Thousands of hours" emphasizes the intensity and volume of time, while "years" emphasizes the length and duration. For example, compare "He dedicated "thousands of hours" to mastering the skill" versus "He spent "years" perfecting his craft".

When should I use "hundreds of hours" instead of "thousands of hours"?

Use "hundreds of hours" when the time investment is substantial but doesn't quite reach the "thousands" mark. It's more accurate to use "hundreds of hours" if the time spent is closer to 200-900 hours, rather than a number clearly exceeding 1000.