meaning - Difference between "per" and "a"


What is the difference between the following two sentences?



She goes to the forest three times per week.


She goes to the forest three times a week.




Answer



A in that sense is a preposition meaning the same thing as per. Any dictionary will have that as a definition for a (Dictionary.com):



preposition
each; every; per: ten cents a sheet; three times a day.



Oxford Dictionary Online and Merriam-Webster have similar entries.


So there is no difference in meaning between your examples. As to usage differences, per is characterized as being more formal and careful, so you would see it more in academic or legal writing or precise instructions, while a would be more common in speech and normal writing.


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