"With Regard To" or "With Regards To"?

by Craig Shrives

Should I write "with regard to" or "with regards to"?

"With regard to" is the correct version, but "with regards to" is growing more popular. Nevertheless, "with regards to" should be treated as a mistake.
  • With regard to correct tick
  • With regards to wrong cross

More about "With Regard To" and "With Regards To"?

The phrase "with regards to" has been increasing in popularity since the 1990s, but it should still be considered an error. The graph below compares "with regard to" and "with regards to" in literature since 1940.
with regard to or with regards to?
(See this graph for yourself with Google's Ngram Viewer.)

Alternatives to "with regard to" and "in regard to"

"With regard to" and "in regard to" is often viewed as cumbersome business-speak. Here are three shorter alternatives:
  • (1) Use "about"
    • I want to talk with regard to your application.
    • I want to talk about your application.
  • (2) Use "concerning"
    • With regard to your observation, I will check the process personally.
    • Concerning your observation, I will check the process personally.
  • (3) Use "regarding"
    • We have received your complaint with regard to John's promotion.
    • We have received your complaint regarding John's promotion.

In Regard To" or "In Regards To"?

The correct version is "in regard to."
  • In regard to correct tick
  • In regards to wrong cross

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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? What are prepositions? List of easily confused words