# half

> English word · Noun · IPA /hɑːf/ · frequency rank #374

## Definitions
1. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
2. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
3. One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
4. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
5. Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
6. The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
7. Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
8. A half sibling.
9. A child ticket. Two and a half to Paddington.
10. abbreviated form for half marathon.
11. Clipping of half-dollar.

## Etymology
From Middle English half, halfe from Old English healf (“half”); as a noun, 'half', 'side', 'part', from Proto-West Germanic *halb, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.
Cognates
Cognate with Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch half, West Frisian heal, Dutch half, German halb, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian halv, Icelandic hálfur and Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍃 (halbs). Compare halve, behalf.

## Easily confused with
- **has** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-has)
- **hat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hat)
- **ham** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-ham)
- **han** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-han)
- **hay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hay)
- **har** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-har)
- **hof** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hof)
- **haw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-haw)
- **hap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hap)
- **Hel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hel)
- **hao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hao)
- **Haq** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-haq)
- **hav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hav)
- **have** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-have)
- **help** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-help)
- **hard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hard)
- **hand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hand)
- **held** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-held)
- **hold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hold)
- **hate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-hate)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ahlf`, `hafl`, `halff`, `hallf`, `hhalf`, `hlaf`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/half