work out at — to calculate the total of something
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to find the total amount or cost of something after doing the necessary calculations.
Say it like a native
Textbook The total expenditure amounts to fifty pounds per person.
Native It works out at about fifty quid each.
'Work out at' is the natural BrE phrase for a calculated total; the formal version is stiff.
Pattern: work out at + amount/number
In use
- The bill for dinner worked out at just over £30 per person.money
- When I calculated all my monthly expenses, they worked out at nearly half of my salary, which was surprising.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ It works out fifty pounds each.
✓ It works out at fifty pounds each.
Don't drop 'at' — 'work out AT' a figure (BrE).
Common collocations
works out at— at, about, roughly, per person
Don't confuse it
'Work out' alone can mean to exercise or to solve a problem, but 'work out at' is used for totals or amounts.