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All confusables

Biannual / Biennial

Different meanings

Biannual means twice a year; biennial means every two years. For schedules, writing the frequency explicitly is often clearest.

Biannual

Use when

Something happens twice a year.

Example

“The committee conducts a biannual access review.”

Biennial

Use when

Something happens once every two years.

Example

“The biennial survey will next run in 2028.”

Quick check

biannual every two years, biennial twice a year

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