vary much from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "vary much from" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is "vary greatly from" or "vary significantly from." Example: "The results of the experiment may vary greatly from our initial predictions."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

42 human-written examples

The news doesn't vary much from paper to paper, but the coupons do.

The New York Times

"There's no instance averaged over a few years where teams vary much from this.

The New York Times - Sports

In this lengthy general election campaign, the subject of the day doesn't seem to vary much from day to day.

Independent

Over all, these works do not vary much from her scroll-length drawings of a decade or so earlier.

The New York Times - Arts

Mr. Hsieh, who has studied real estate commissions, said that they did not vary much from 6percentt and did not generally change in good times or bad.

The New York Times

They are of a type that does not vary much from person to person and appear to have no effect on a child's characteristics, the researchers say.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

The two differ substantially; and a key senator said Sunday that it would be difficult for his chamber to pass anything that varies much from the Senate version.

The New York Times

None of truck type distribution under 3 snowfall categories is varied much from the expected truck type distribution pattern measured in winter season (490 days).

Journal of Modern Transportation

None of truck type distribution under 7 cold categories is varied much from the expected truck type distribution pattern measured in winter season (490 days).

Journal of Modern Transportation

In this case, the performance of both the BKF-CORR and BKS-CORR estimators decreases significantly for ε=0.10, but it does not vary much by moving from ε=0.01 to ε=0.05.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Band positions vary much more than bands from other defects, which may be due to the very broad and often low intensity of these bands, making it difficult to precisely locate the wavenumber of maximum intensity.

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for more precise alternatives like "differ significantly from" or "vary substantially from" to enhance clarity and grammatical correctness. This will improve the overall quality and credibility of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "vary much from" in formal writing. While common, it's not considered grammatically sound. Choose alternatives that more accurately reflect the intended degree of difference and adhere to standard English grammar.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "vary much from" functions as a comparative expression, indicating a difference between two or more things. However, it is considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI suggests, better alternatives exist.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

44%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "vary much from" is frequently used, but as Ludwig AI points out, it is grammatically incorrect. Although commonly found in various sources, including news and scientific publications, it's advisable to use more precise and grammatically sound alternatives such as "differ significantly from" or "vary substantially from". These alternatives enhance clarity and credibility, particularly in formal writing. While "vary much from" is widely understood, opting for better phrasing will improve the overall quality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vary substantially from

Uses "substantially" to emphasize a significant variation.

differ significantly from

Emphasizes a notable degree of difference, using 'significantly' to highlight the extent of variation.

diverge considerably from

Indicates a substantial departure or deviation, suggesting a more pronounced separation.

deviate substantially from

Similar to 'diverge considerably', it highlights a significant departure from an established norm or standard.

differ markedly from

Uses 'markedly' to underscore a clear and easily noticeable difference.

contrast sharply with

Highlights a strong and distinct difference, often implying opposing qualities.

differ to a great extent from

More verbose, but clearly indicates a large degree of difference.

bear little resemblance to

Shifts the focus to similarity rather than difference, indicating a lack of common features.

are quite distinct from

Emphasizes the separateness and uniqueness of the compared items.

exhibit notable differences from

Focuses on the differences being observable and worthy of attention.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "vary much from"?

Consider using phrases like "differ significantly from", "vary substantially from", or "diverge considerably from" for improved grammatical accuracy.

Is "vary much from" considered formal English?

No, "vary much from" is not considered formal English. It's better to use more precise and grammatically correct alternatives in formal contexts.

How can I use "differ significantly from" in a sentence?

You can replace "vary much from" with "differ significantly from" in sentences like: "The experimental results differ significantly from the theoretical predictions."

What's the difference between "vary much from" and "vary greatly from"?

"Vary greatly from" is a more grammatically sound alternative to "vary much from". While the meaning is similar, "vary greatly from" is preferred in formal writing.