hour
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A unit of time equal to sixty minutes; one twenty-fourth of a day.
A fixed point in the day as indicated by a clock; a period set aside for a particular purpose or activity; a significant or particular moment in time.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word can refer to a precise 60-minute duration ('The meeting lasted an hour'), a scheduled time ('Visiting hours are from 2pm to 4pm'), or a metaphorical period of significance ('The country's darkest hour'). The initial 'h' is silent, making 'an hour' the correct indefinite article.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and usage are identical. Some idiomatic expressions may show slight regional preference but are mutually intelligible.
Connotations
In both dialects, 'the small hours' refers to the very early morning (1-4am). 'Rush hour' is a common term in both.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SUBJ] + last/take/spend + [QUANTIFIER] hour(s)[PREP] + the hour (e.g., on the hour)[DET] + hour + [PREP] + [NOUN] (e.g., an hour of silence)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the hour”
- “after hours”
- “at all hours”
- “the small hours”
- “eleventh hour”
- “zero hour”
- “witching hour”
- “hour of need”
- “kill time / an hour”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"Billable hours are tracked for each client."
Academic
"The lecture contact hour is a standard unit of teaching."
Everyday
"I'll be there in about an hour."
Technical
"The engine's power output is measured in brake horsepower-hours."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The team will hour their efforts on the final project. (rare, poetic)
adverb
British English
- The buses run hourly from the station.
- Pay is calculated hourly.
American English
- Trains depart hourly.
- Employees are paid hourly.
adjective
British English
- We offer an hourly weather update.
- It's an hour-long documentary.
American English
- She works an hourly job.
- We had an hour-long wait.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The film starts in one hour.
- My school day is six hours long.
- I go to bed at ten o'clock.
- The repair will take approximately two hours.
- Please arrive on the hour for the tour.
- I spent a happy hour browsing in the bookshop.
- Negotiators worked into the small hours to reach an agreement.
- The athlete's moment of triumph was also her hour of greatest pressure.
- We bill our services by the man-hour.
- The nation stood united in its hour of need.
- He is a poet who captures the spirit of the hour.
- The committee's eleventh-hour amendment changed the entire proposal.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a clock face: the 'hour' hand moves slowly, marking one full circle in 12 'hours'. Remember the silent 'h' by linking it to 'honour' – both start with a vowel sound.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A RESOURCE (waste an hour, invest your hours); TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT (the hour approaches, the hour passed); LIFE IS A DAY (his hour has come, the hour of his death).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'час' as 'hour' when it means 'time' or 'o'clock' (e.g., 'Который час?' is 'What time is it?', not 'What hour is it?').
- In Russian, 'час' can mean 'lesson/class period' (школьный час), but in English, 'hour' in this context is usually part of a phrase like 'class hour' or 'contact hour'.
- The phrase 'полчаса' is 'half an hour', not 'a half hour' (though the latter is possible).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'a hour' instead of 'an hour' (due to the silent 'h').
- Confusing 'in an hour' (60 minutes from now) with 'after an hour' (once 60 minutes have passed).
- Using plural 'hours' as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'many hours' is correct; 'much hours' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase means 'at a very late or inconvenient time'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the 'h' in 'hour' is silent, the word begins with a vowel sound (/aʊə/). The indefinite article 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
'In an hour' means 'one hour from now' (future point). 'After an hour' means 'once an hour has passed' (following a duration).
It is a countable noun. You can have one hour, two hours, many hours. You cannot have 'much hour'.
It means at exactly 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, etc., i.e., when the clock shows ':00'. ('The news bulletin starts on the hour.')
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Routine
A1 · 50 words · Words for describing your everyday activities and schedule.
Numbers and Time
A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.