as follows or as below ? (2025)

Dear everyone,

Is there any difference between " as follows " and " as below " ?

eg:

I have arranged the restaurant as follows,

I have arranged the restaurant as below,

Thank you for your help.

Your examples suggest that you don’t understand what those phrases mean. They’re used in written texts to indicate something that is about to be explained in more detail, usually in the next paragraph or section. They are very similar in meaning, but if you use “as follows”, then the text you’re referring to should come

after it. With “as below”, that’s not quite so necessary.

In mathematical notation the logarithm is written as follows:
logb (N) = x where b is the base, N is the desired product, and x is the power.

I do not intend to disturb the peace by resurrecting this old thread, but the problem still remains unsolved for me here.

I just read an article written in my native language which advised people not to use "as below" but rather go with "as follows," especially in a business setting.

While I take no issue with constructions such as "the results are as shown below," "please find the chart below," etc., somehow as below feels wrong to me. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that I hear "as follows" so often that any other variation is bound to throw me off balance.

Would anyone care to chip in?

lingobingo said:

Your examples suggest that you don’t understand what those phrases mean. They’re used in written texts to indicate something that is about to be explained in more detail, usually in the next paragraph or section. They are very similar in meaning, but if you use “as follows”, then the text you’re referring to should come

immediately

after it. With “as below”, that’s not quite so necessary.

In mathematical notation the logarithm is written as follows:
logb (N) = x where b is the base, N is the desired product, and x is the power.

Click to expand...

I'd like to ask you one question related to this. Can we say the following things?

Please see the following sentences.
Please see the sentences shown below.
Please see the sentences listed below.
Please see the sentences given below.
Please see the below-given sentences.

sinukg said:

I'd like to ask you one question related to this. Can we say the following things?

Please see the following sentences.
Please see the sentences shown below.
Please see the sentences listed below.
Please see the sentences given below.
Please see the below-given sentences.

Click to expand...

The last one is a little bit odd.

It’s an unlikely instruction, and “below-given” is not an established term (as already pointed out).

Where are these “sentences” the reader is being directed to? If they immediately follow that instruction, then use “as follows:” or “the following [whatever]”. If they appear anywhere else, don’t.

On its own, the word “below” is really quite vague, so “see below” is best suited to a short text such as a label or notice or any single-page document. In a technical/academic book or article, “below” might be used in relation to a later paragraph, section or even chapter, so the reader normally needs a more detailed reference.

lingobingo said:

Where are these “sentences” the reader is being directed to? If they immediately follow that instruction, then use “as follows:” or “the following [whatever]”. If they appear anywhere else, don’t.

Click to expand...

Where would you put as follows or as below?

Please see the sentences as follows/Please see the sentences as below Would you put it like that?

Would it be correct to say it as below?

The footnote should read as below. (as it's shown in the example below)??

The literacy rates are given as below: (in the example below)??

Isn't there any difference between those "below"?
Why do we use a colon in the third one?

Here is another sentence with a colon (but it's complete).

This can be easily seen by removing the center dot and dividing the rest of the figure into four triangles, as below: The difference between two consecutive octahedral numbers is a centered square number

The colon is used as a direct introduction to a quotation, list, etc., after you’ve said something that amounts to “[and] here it is”. A colon is essential if the quote/list runs on within the sentence, but not if it’s separated from the main text by a line space and/or indentation.

Yes, “as below” can be used to mean “as shown below”. But…

The literacy rates are given as below:
The literacy rates are given below. (simple clear statement)
The literacy rates are as below. (not as good)