Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

half-

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.41 in modern English

Syllables
half-
IPA
10
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

prefix

half or partial; not complete

prefix

Used before brother, sister, uncle, aunt, and so forth, to indicate that the person being identified is related only through one parent, grandparent, and so forth, rather than two.

Etymology

From Middle English half-, from Old English healf-, from Proto-Germanic *halba- (“half-”), from *halbaz (“half”). Cognate with Dutch half- (“half-”), German halb- (“half-”), Swedish halv- (“half-”), Icelandic hálf- (“half-”). More at half.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Frequently Paired Words

half

Synonyms

semi- hemi- demi-

Questions

What does half- mean?
half or partial; not complete
Where does half- come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce half-

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “half-”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “half-”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “half-” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.