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All confusables

Fortnightly / Twice monthly

Different meanings

Fortnightly means every two weeks; twice monthly means twice in each calendar month. They are not interchangeable.

Fortnightly

Use when

Something happens once every two weeks.

Example

“The fortnightly payroll is processed every other Friday.”

Twice monthly

Use when

Something happens twice in each calendar month, usually on stated dates.

Example

“Claims are paid twice monthly, on the 15th and final working day.”

Quick check

fortnightly treated as twice monthly, two pay dates every month described as fortnightly, schedule without actual dates

Usage note

A fortnightly schedule normally produces 26 occurrences a year, while a twice-monthly schedule produces 24. State the dates when timing affects pay, deadlines or attendance.

Source checked 2026-08-11 (opens in a new tab)