half
HALF meaning: one of two roughly equal parts; the word scores 10 Scrabble points and has no anagrams.
Noun 4 meanings
One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
“I ate the smaller half of the apple.”
Half of a standard measure, chiefly:
The fraction obtained by dividing 1 by 2.
“Three-quarters minus a quarter is a half.”
Any of the three terms at Eton College, for Michaelmas, Lent, and summer.
Adjective 4 meanings
Consisting of a half (½, 50%).
“a half dollar”
Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
“a half brother or half sister”
Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.
“a half uncle or half aunt or half cousin”
Adverb 4 meanings
In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
In some part approximating a half.
Partially; imperfectly.
“The task is only half done.”
Practically, nearly.
Verb 1 meaning
To halve.
Preposition 1 meaning
Half past; a half-hour (30 minutes) after the last hour.
“The time is 9:30; it is half nine.”
Interjection 1 meaning
A call reminding performers that the performance will begin in thirty minutes.
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.
Similar and opposite words
HALF is a familiar four-letter word with a precise central sense: one of two usually roughly equal parts. Its Scrabble total is 10, built from two four-point tiles and two one-point tiles. Frequency figures rank it 352nd, with 138,527 recorded occurrences, making it everyday vocabulary rather than a rare rack-filler.
HALF meaning and score at a glance
- HALF has four letters and means one of two usually roughly equal parts.
- Its Scrabble value is 10: H and F are worth 4 each; A and L are worth 1 each.
- The letters A, F, H and L make no anagrams of HALF.
- HALF has nine one-letter neighbours and three rhymes.
What does HALF mean, and how does it score?
The definition centers on division into two usually roughly equal parts, whether the split is physical or conceptual. You might cut a loaf in half or say a team has finished half its work; both uses show a portion in relation to a whole. The word names a share, not necessarily an exact split in every casual use.
The tile math is straightforward: H and F each contribute 4 points, while A and L add 1 apiece, for 10 before board-square bonuses. A premium letter square changes the value of the tile it covers; a word multiplier affects the play's total. Since HALF has no anagrams, rearranging all four letters produces no alternate word.
HALF meaning, neighbours and rhymes
Change one letter and HALF connects to hall, halt, halo, calf and hale, alongside haff, halm, hauf and haaf. That is a mixed set: the first five are familiar words, while the remaining four are less everyday options. Check your game's word list before relying on an unfamiliar neighbour.
Three words rhyme with HALF: behalf, calf and mooncalf. The shared ending is “alf,” which makes calf the clearest short rhyme and behalf a longer match. HALF itself is common, but its rhymes are not all equally familiar, so use the shorter examples when a quick sound match matters.
Rhymes with half
All rhymes- BEHALF14
- CALF9
- MOONCALF15
One letter away
Questions people ask
Is HALF a valid Scrabble word?
What words can you make from the letters in HALF?
What rhymes with HALF?
Keep going
Related lists
Looking for a different word?
Type the letters you have and the Finder shows every word that fits.