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Biweekly Versus Semiweekly
Episode 117: July 15, 2008

Grammar Girl here. In honor of the increased show production schedule, today's topic is biweekly versus semiweekly.

How to Remember the Definitions of Bi- and Semi-

The prefixes bi- and semi- are different. Bi- means two and semi- means half. You can remember that by remembering that a bicycle has two wheels and semisweet chocolate is only half sweet. Bifocals have two lenses, and semiannual sales happens twice a year.

Knowing the Definitions Doesn't Necessarily Help

Still, at first glance, knowing the meaning of those prefixes doesn't necessarily help. Is a biweekly meeting two times a week or every two weeks?

Grace and Bert both wrote in to ask about the word biweekly. They both think it means every two weeks, and they're right. The definition of biweekly is every two weeks, and the definition of semiweekly is twice a week, or said another way, every half week, if that helps you remember. Bimonthly is every two months, and semimonthly is every half month. The Grammar Girl podcast is now coming out semiweekly.

Few People Know the Difference

But Grace and Bert both noticed that people don't seem to know the difference and are using biweekly to mean both twice a week AND every two weeks. “When did this change of definition happen?” Grace asks.

Avoid Biweekly and Semiweekly

I don't know exactly when the change happened, but I know that it did happen. Every style guide I checked recommended avoiding words such as biweekly and bimonthly and instead just saying twice a week or every other week (1, 2, 3, 4). It's more clear.

You can feel smart if you know the difference between biweekly and semiweekly, but if you write your invitations using those words half the people will probably show up on the wrong day, and that's no way to run a meeting--unless you're running a grammar society or a word-lovers club; then your members would probably appreciate the challenge.

Administrative

I hope you paid attention because a question about the word biweekly could show up on our grammar quiz widget soon. You can take the quizzes at QuickandDirtyTips.com or you can take the widget and install it on your own blog, Facebook or MySpace page. It's free. And if you take the quiz and find that you need a little help, you can buy my book, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

That's all. Thanks for listening.

References

1. O'Connor, P.T. “The Scoop on “bi” and “semi.” The Grammarphobia Blog. September 15, 2006, http://tinyurl.com/5drj2g (accessed 7/8/2008).

2. Brians, P. Common Errors in English Usage. Wilsonville: William, James & Co., 2003, p. 27.

3. Garner, B. Garner's Modern American Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 102.

4. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1994, p. 184-85.

Comments (12) for Biweekly Versus Semiweekly | Subscribe to Comment

Eric Says:
10/8/2008 6:06:36 AM

In the mortgage industry, it's fairly codified that bi-weekly payments are made every two weeks and bi-monthly payments are made twice a month. Check out http://www.loan.com/truth-about-loans/biweekly-and-a-bimonthly.

Mindi Says:
7/30/2008 5:06:50 PM

We don't hear "fortnight" much in the U.S. I'm going to start using it. It makes me feel like Jane Austen.

Hiker Says:
7/29/2008 11:19:37 AM

There is another solution adopted in English English which is to use the word fortnight in preference to biweekly. Using just fortnight and semiweekly is much clearer. It is really biweekly which is confusing and which well all deprecate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortnight

Tanya Emerson Says:
7/28/2008 7:55:02 PM

I think that saying twice a week or every two weeks is much easier to remember. Why make things more confusing or complicated.

Peter Schuman Says:
7/25/2008 12:16:24 AM

Your grammar quiz widget asks one to choose "the best" of three sentences, all of which describe the speaker as "more proud" of the addressee. Having this ungrammatical wording makes all three sentences "more bad" than they should be.

Charles Carson Says:
7/17/2008 11:09:03 AM

Ben, you write that dictionary.com says "biweekly" and "semiweekly" "can be used interchangeably." It should be noted that most dictionaries are descriptive in nature, not prescriptive -- that is, they describe how words *are* used, not how they *should* be used. However, you're right that it clouds the issue, thus the style manuals' recommendations to avoid ambiguity by saying "twice a week" or "every two weeks."

Ben Says:
7/17/2008 10:53:01 AM

Apparently, according to dictionary.com the two words can be used interachangeably. While looking up the definition of "biweekly" you are given definitions that mean both twice a week (with semiweekly in parathesis after it), and also every two weeks.

Grammar Girl Says:
7/15/2008 6:41:20 PM

Apparently I misspoke in the podcast and said "Bi-weekly is every two *months,* and semi-monthly..." Biweekly means every two *weeks,* of course. Sorry. (I'm on the road for the next two weeks and can't fix the audio.)

Charles Carson Says:
7/15/2008 11:03:49 AM

I have found similar confusion about "biannual," meaning twice a year, and "biennial," meaning once every two years.

Jared Steward Says:
7/15/2008 9:35:58 AM

I understand that language is fluid and new words get introduced all the time or even that meanings of words change over time. However, I think there are some things that need to be steadfast rules no matter how confused people become in their usage. Bi- and semi- are one of them. I think it's a shame that the style guides are stating these prefixes should be avoided because people confuse them and use them erroneously. Some things just need to be a rule and stay a rule. If people show up to the meeting or your party on the wrong day I say let them feel like an idiot and then maybe they'll learn the correct definition!

Drew McGee Says:
7/15/2008 8:54:06 AM

Biweekly means every two weeks and semiweekly is twice a week?

Martin Watts Says:
7/15/2008 3:56:22 AM

It is easier here in the UK. Just say fortnightly instead of biweekly.