Biweekly, Bi-weekly, or Bi Weekly?
“Biweekly” is the standard closed spelling, but its frequency meaning is genuinely ambiguous: Cambridge records both “every two weeks” and “twice a week.” Clear scheduling prose should state the interval when misunderstanding would matter.
Write “biweekly” as one word. Because it can mean either every two weeks or twice a week, use “every two weeks” or “twice a week” when the schedule must be unambiguous.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Choice | Meaning risk | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| biweekly | can mean every two weeks or twice a week | Acceptable when context makes the interval clear. |
| every two weeks | unambiguous | Prefer for schedules, contracts, payroll, and deadlines when precision matters. |
| twice a week | unambiguous | Prefer when two occurrences each week are intended. |
Quick tests
Schedule-clarity test
Would a reader need to know whether the event happens twice each week or once every two weeks?
If yes: Spell out the interval instead of relying on “biweekly.”
If no: “Biweekly” is acceptable if the context is already clear.
Caveat: The ambiguity is lexical, so punctuation alone does not solve it.
Examples
The newsletter is published biweekly; in this contract, that means every two weeks.
The sentence removes the frequency ambiguity.
Payroll is processed every two weeks.
Explicit interval wording is safer where timing has practical consequences.
Further guidance
Clarity
For contracts, schedules, payroll, and deadlines, explicit interval wording is safer than relying on the ambiguous frequency word.
Meaning
Cambridge records both every-two-weeks and twice-a-week senses in general English.
Spelling
Cambridge lists the headword as “biweekly,” written as one word.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Biweekly — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary definition showing both accepted frequency senses