How do you say this in English (US)?
how to feel and use "so much as "

See a translation

I understand how to use " not so much as"
but I couldn't feel how to use and say this phrase by heart.
In my brain,
He is n't so much a teacher as a scholar.
The angry person went away without so much as saying apologetic words.
I can feel these are natural like this;
He isn't so much a teacher/ as a scholar.
The angry person went away without so much/ as saying apologetic words.

but "He can't so much as tell his own name"
I can use this, however I couldn't feel it's natural.
"He can't tell so much/ as his own name"
I think this's more natural.however, I haven't seen that this is used.
so when you use this, what's happening in native speaker's brain?

@Bennu in case of "He can't so much as tell his own words", what's happening?
why we don't say like this "He can't say so much as his own word."
I think the later is more natural than the former.

A is so great


as B

He isn't so much a teacher



as a scholar

He can't say so much



as his own word

I think in this way