Editor's Corner

Good Monday morning, folks.

Have you ever wondered if you get paid biweekly or bimonthly? Maybe you get paid semiweekly or semimonthly.

If you have wondered, you’re not alone. Unless you get paid every single week or only once a month, the terminology we use causes confusion. The dictionary isn’t even much help, either.

According to Merriam-Webster, biweekly means “happening every two weeks,” Oh, and it also means “happening twice a week.”

And Merriam-Webster says that bimonthly means “occurring every two months,” or sometimes it means “occurring twice a month.”

Confusion also occurs with semiweekly and semimonthly. Although semi- means “twice a…” people often misuse it to mean “every two…”

So, what’s a conscientious grammar geek to do? Well, don’t lash out and don’t turn your rage inward. I have a solution! To avoid confusion, don’t use those terms at all. Instead, use the actual time frame. For example, I get paid every two weeks. Or, I get paid twice a month.

Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | Symitar®

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