Half can be a noun, adjective, or adverb.

“Half” and “halve” are related terms, but these words also have different uses: As such, no verb form will be spelled with an “f.” Should I Use Half or Halve? The new road halves the time it takes to get home.Īll verb forms of this term are spelled with a “v” (i.e., hal ve, hal ves, hal ved, hal ving). I will halve the cake and give one part to my sister.Ī similar use is to mean “reduce by 50%,” such as in the following:

It means “divide into two (roughly) equal parts”: Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Halve (Divide Something in Two) But regardless of how it is used, the word “half” is always related to the idea of being divided, incomplete, or half of something whole. In the second sentence, “half” is an adjective that modifies the noun “hour” (i.e., we’re discussing 50% of an hour). In the first sentence above, “half” is an adverb that modifies the verb “baked” (i.e., the cake was only partially cooked). It should have been in the oven for another half hour. For example, we could use it in either of the following: We can also use the word “half” to modify other words in a sentence. The plural of this noun form of “half” is “halves” with a “v.” This is because some words like “half” that end in an “f” or “-fe” change their spelling in plural form (e.g., kni fe → kni ves or cal f → cal ves). For instance:ĭo you want the other half of this pizza? “Half” is typically a noun that means “fifty percent” (or a similar amount). We’ll start out with the more common word. But wait! Are you sure you know the difference between the words “half” and “halve”? If not, read on to find out more.

It is a common term than any native English speaker should know. Sometimes, seemingly simple words can cause problems.

Half & half nutrition facts