halffhour

Halffhour is not a standard English term; it is usually encountered as an alternate spelling or branding of half-hour, which represents a 30-minute interval. In standard usage, half-hour is hyphenated when it functions as a compound adjective (a half-hour delay) and as a noun it appears as half hour or half-hour depending on style.

Etymology: formed from the words 'half' and 'hour', with hour from Latin hora via Old French hora; The compound expresses a unit of time.

Usage: The half-hour occurs in scheduling, broadcasting, computing, etc. Examples: 'The lecture lasts a half-hour' or 'trains depart at half-hour intervals.' In British English, 'half-hour' is common; in American English, 'half hour' is acceptable in some phrases, but 'half-hour' as a modifier is standard. The unspaced form 'halffhour' is rarely correct outside of branding or computing identifiers.

Branding and references: Some brands or creative projects may use Halffhour as a stylized brand name or domain; in those cases it should be treated as a proper noun.

See also: Half-hour; Time; Scheduling.