every other year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "every other year" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe an event or occurrence that takes place once every two years. Example: "The festival is held every other year, attracting visitors from all over the country."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Pink salmon return every other year.

The New York Times

It would only available every other year.

The New York Times - Sports

"I've lost every other year".

The New York Times

Elections are held every other year.

The New York Times

Previously, Medicare covered mammograms every other year.

The New York Times

Manchester might try every other year.

The Guardian

Every other year, someone dies on the water.

The New York Times - Magazine

A book appeared every other year or so.

The New Yorker

"It seems like every other year we have something".

The New York Times - Sports

He buys a new pickup every other year.

The New York Times - Food

2015 ended pretty much like every other year.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "every other year" to clearly indicate an event that happens once every two years, avoiding ambiguity about the frequency.

Common error

Avoid using "every year" when you mean "every other year". The former implies an annual event, while the latter specifies a biennial occurrence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "every other year" functions as an adverbial phrase of frequency, modifying a verb to indicate how often an action occurs. Ludwig provides examples demonstrating its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "every other year" is a common and grammatically correct adverbial phrase indicating an event occurs once every two years. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and widespread use across diverse contexts, especially in news, science, and business. While synonyms like "biennially" exist, "every other year" provides a clear, understandable alternative. Remembering that it describes a biennial event is important to avoid confusion with annual occurrences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

biennially

Single word meaning "every two years", more concise.

once every two years

More explicit and less idiomatic.

occurring every two years

Formal and descriptive.

alternate years

Shorter, focuses on the alternating nature.

in alternating years

Highlights the alternating nature of the event.

every second year

More literal, emphasizes the ordinal position.

every two calendar years

Emphasizes the calendar aspect of the two-year period.

at two-year intervals

Focuses on the interval between occurrences.

every other 365 days

Replaces "year" with "365 days", adding precision.

year after year

Implies a repeating pattern across years, less specific about the interval.

FAQs

How can I use "every other year" in a sentence?

You can use "every other year" to describe events that occur once every two years. For example, "The conference is held "every other year".".

What's a more formal way to say "every other year"?

A more formal synonym for "every other year" is "biennially".

Is it correct to say "every other year" or should I say "every second year"?

Both "every other year" and "every second year" are grammatically correct and have the same meaning, but "every other year" is more commonly used.

Can "every other year" be used to describe something that happens more frequently than every two years?

No, "every other year" specifically means once every two years. To describe more frequent events, use terms like "annually", "monthly", or "weekly" as appropriate.