twoish

Twoish is a colloquial English term formed by adding the suffix -ish to the numeral two to indicate an approximate value. It is most commonly used to express an approximate time, but it can also modify duration or, less commonly, an approximate quantity. The word appears in informal speech and casual writing more frequently than in formal contexts.

In usage, twoish is typically used for times: “What time should we start? Twoish would be fine.” “We'll meet at twoish.” For duration, it can mean roughly two hours: “The drive will take twoish hours.” When referring to amount or count, the expression is rarer and can sound imprecise; speakers may prefer “two or so” or “about two” instead.

Spelling and style: twoish can be written as twoish or two‑ish, with a hyphen sometimes used in more formal contexts to mark the informal inflection. It is part of a broader pattern of -ish suffixed to numbers (oneish, tenish, sixish), signaling vagueness rather than precision.

Regional and register notes: It is widespread in American English and other varieties in casual speech, online conversation, and transcripts; less common in formal writing or careful prose.

See also: around two, approximately, about two, two or so.