year over year

USAGE SUMMARY

"year over year" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to compare something from one year to the next. For example, "Sales increased 10% year over year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Revenue is up 18 percent year over year.

The New York Times

Earnings are accelerating year over year.

The New York Times

That's up 13.7percentt year over year.

The New York Times

"Things didn't change radically year over year".

The New York Times

"Year over year over year, I think the audience has remained static, if not grown.

The New York Times

Prices rose 7.2 percent year over year, the agency said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

"We're growing year-over-year.

The New York Times

"Year-over-year, they pay their C.E.O.

The New York Times

Year-over-year core inflation was up 0.8 percent.

The New York Times

Instead, it tells investors the year-over-year percentage growth.

The New York Times

Year-over-year sales at many stores were down substantially.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing for a global audience, be mindful that conventions for date formats may vary. To avoid ambiguity, spell out the month in full or use a format like YYYY-MM-DD.

Common error

Avoid using "year over year" when you are actually referring to a different timeframe, such as quarter over quarter or month over month. Ensure that your comparison is indeed between two full years.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "year over year" functions as an adjectival modifier, typically describing a comparison or change between two consecutive years. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and suitable for use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "year over year" is a grammatically correct and commonly used term for comparing data from one year to the previous year. Ludwig AI validates its usability in various contexts, particularly within news, science, and business domains. While alternatives like "compared to last year" or "year-on-year" exist, "year over year" is widely understood and accepted for its clarity in conveying annual comparisons. When using the phrase, ensure accuracy in timeframe and consider your audience when choosing between it and its alternatives. As highlighted by the expert rating, consistent and authoritative usage makes "year over year" a reliable choice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

year-on-year

A hyphenated alternative to "year over year", carrying the same meaning.

compared to last year

A more conversational way to express the comparison to the previous year.

from the prior year

Indicates a comparison against data from the year immediately before.

previous year's comparison

Specific about comparing to the immediately preceding year.

one-year change

Highlights the change occurring over a single year, emphasizing the span of time.

annual comparison

Focuses on the act of comparing annual data, not necessarily the growth or change.

over the past year

Emphasizes the progression or trend observed throughout the preceding year.

annualized growth

Implies growth calculated on an annual basis, often used in financial contexts.

annualized rate

Focuses on expressing a rate or percentage as if it were for a full year.

on an annual basis

Highlights the frequency with which data is collected or analyzed.

FAQs

How do I use "year over year" in a sentence?

Use "year over year" to compare data from one year to the data from the previous year. For example, "The company's revenue increased by 15% "year over year"".

What is the difference between "year over year" and "year-to-date"?

"Year over year" compares an entire year's data to the previous year's, while "year-to-date" compares the period from the beginning of the current year to a specific date against the same period in the previous year.

What are some alternatives to saying "year over year"?

You can use phrases like "compared to last year", "year-on-year", or "annual comparison" depending on the specific context.

Is "year over year" the same as annual growth?

While related, they aren't identical. "Year over year" describes the comparison, while annual growth is the result of that comparison, often expressed as a percentage increase or decrease.