is that a sort of

1. Is it sort of or sort of?
2. What does of that sort mean?
3. What does it mean to say sort of?
4. When to use kind of or sort of?

Is it sort of or sort of?

In both cases the phrase "sort of" is being used as an adjective, to indicate approximation. Thus both sentences must make sense when the phrase "sort of" is removed, which is why an article is needed in the first. The phrase "sort of" is informal, but the 2nd sentence uses that phrase in an informal manner.

What does of that sort mean?

or of a sort. DEFINITIONS1. of a type that is not exactly the same as the actual thing, or is not as good as the actual thing.

What does it mean to say sort of?

phrase. You use sort of when you want to say that your description of something is not very accurate. [informal, vagueness]

When to use kind of or sort of?

Kind of is more common in American English. Sort of is more common in British English: He's kind of jealous that they have become such good friends. I'm sorry but she's just kind of lost interest in buying the car.