# halve

> English word · Verb · IPA /hɑːv/ · frequency rank #47,085

## Definitions
1. To reduce to half the original amount.
2. To divide into two halves.
3. To make up half of.
4. To join two pieces of timber etc. by cutting away each for half its thickness at the joining place, and fitting together.
5. In match play, to achieve a tie or draw on.

## Etymology
From Middle English halven, helven, from Old English hilfan, helfan, *hielfan (“to halve, divide in two”), from Proto-West Germanic *halbijan, from Proto-Germanic *halbijaną (“to halve”), from Proto-Germanic *halbaz (“half”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch halven (“to halve”), Middle High German halben, helben (“to halve”). Compare also West Frisian helte (“to halve”), Dutch halveren (“to halve”), German Low German halberen (“to halve”), German halbieren (“to halve”), Danish halvere (“to halve”), Swedish halvera (“to halve”).

## Easily confused with
- **hav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hav)
- **have** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-have)
- **hate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hate)
- **hole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hole)
- **hare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hare)
- **hive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hive)
- **haze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haze)
- **hove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hove)
- **haye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haye)
- **haven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haven)
- **haste** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haste)
- **haute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haute)
- **haves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-haves)
- **heave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-heave)
- **Havre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-havre)
- **Hulme** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-hulme)
- **Harvey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-harvey)
- **halves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halve-vs-halves)
- **hal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hal-vs-halve)
- **half** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/half-vs-halve)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ahlve`, `halev`, `hallve`, `halvve`, `havle`, `hhalve`, `hlave`

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