to begin with however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to begin with however" is not correct and does not work well in written English.
It is generally used to introduce a point or argument, but the combination of "to begin with" and "however" creates a contradiction in meaning. Example: "To begin with, however, we need to consider the budget constraints before making any decisions."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

To begin with, however, they were not particularly worried about how to fit subjectivity into their new world view.

The Economist

If they are bored to begin with, however, isolation may seem no worse by comparison.Rather than banishing kids to their rooms, positive disciplinarians ask them to go to their calm spot to regain control.

The Economist

Many victims already have anemia to begin with, however, due to low levels of iron in their diets or other infections such as malaria.

Science Magazine

To begin with, however, the new diagnostic equipment is more likely to be used for preliminary screening by sleep labs, than for keeping patients'airways open.

Forbes

As the initial structure of this L8 loop has not been observed before, characterizing the L8 structure (subunit B) from dhMtb-BirA as ligand free form may appear to be assumptive to begin with, however, all other observations point towards subunit B being a snapshot of apo BirA leaving little doubt that for the first time we have the molecular structure of the L8 loop available to us.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

I thought that a sentence couldn't begin with however — that it either had to be separated by commas or follow a semicolon.

The New York Times

Pg 6, C2: in the paragraph immediately below the 'grep' for "RAG1", two consecutive sentences begin with "However".

F1000Research

However to begin with, after Pat's death, he was not interested in action.

The Guardian - Books

We chose, however, to begin with what the radiologist should report in order to make it easier to understand what the MRI protocol should consist of and the reason for this.

Insights into Imaging

You are unlikely to begin by dealing with Medicare issues themselves; however, the experience with medical office administrative tasks will help you to gain an entry-level job.

WikiHow

Beginning with americium, however, the electron energy levels seem to be sufficiently separated so that mixing does not occur.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid combining introductory phrases like "to begin with" directly with contrastive conjunctions like "however". Instead, choose one or the other, or rephrase for clarity. For example, use "Initially" or "To begin with" followed by a separate sentence starting with "However".

Common error

Using "to begin with" and "however" together creates a redundancy and weakens the sentence. "To begin with" already implies an initial point, while "however" signals a contrast. Separate these ideas for better clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to begin with however" attempts to serve as both an introductory phrase and a contrasting conjunction. However, this combination creates a grammatically awkward and redundant structure. As Ludwig AI explains, it's better to choose one or the other or separate them.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to begin with however" is grammatically incorrect due to the conflicting use of an introductory phrase and a contrasting conjunction. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While it might appear in some contexts, particularly in news and scientific articles, it is best avoided in formal writing. Instead, consider using alternatives like "initially however", "at first however", or separating the phrases into distinct sentences for clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initially however

Replaces "to begin with" with "initially", maintaining the introductory sense while keeping the contrastive "however".

at first however

Uses "at first" instead of "to begin with" to introduce an initial consideration with a contrast.

to start with though

Substitutes "however" with "though", providing a softer contrast to the initial statement.

in the beginning but

Rephrases the start with "in the beginning" and uses "but" instead of "however" for a direct contrast.

as a starting point yet

Employs "as a starting point" and "yet" to indicate an initial consideration and a subsequent contrast.

initially nevertheless

Replaces "however" with "nevertheless" for a stronger contrast following the initial statement.

to begin with on the other hand

Expands "however" to "on the other hand" for a more explicit contrast.

at the outset still

Uses "at the outset" for the initial part and "still" to show a continuing contrast.

firstly even so

Replaces "to begin with" with "firstly" and "however" with "even so", indicating an initial point and a concession.

to commence with but

Uses "to commence with" and contrasts it with "but" for a clear initial statement followed by a contradiction.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with "to begin with however"?

No, starting a sentence with "to begin with however" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The phrase combines an introductory element ("to begin with") with a contrasting conjunction ("however") in a way that is redundant and confusing. It's better to use one or the other, or separate them into distinct sentences.

What can I say instead of "to begin with however"?

Instead of "to begin with however", you can use alternatives like "initially however", "at first however", or split the phrases like "To begin with" followed by a separate sentence starting with "However".

What is the difference between "to begin with" and "however"?

"To begin with" introduces the first point in a series or argument, while "however" introduces a contrast or contradiction to a previous statement. Combining them directly is generally awkward and grammatically questionable.

How can I use "to begin with" and "however" correctly in my writing?

Use "to begin with" to introduce an initial point, and then use "however" in a separate sentence or clause to present a contrasting viewpoint. For example: "To begin with, the budget is limited. However, we can explore alternative solutions."