ONCE, TWICE, THRICE

The words once, twice and thrice can replace “one time,” “two times” and “three times” in describing how many times something happens, allowing more concise writing. (There are no terms for “four times” and above.)

 Examples of use:

 “Never before in the history of the English top flight has a team been beaten only once during the entire season and not won the championship.”

 “One in five said they were never able to read to their children, with more than a quarter of those surveyed only able to read to their children once a week or less.”

 “Parents can help reduce their children’s sugar intake by making simple swaps when shopping and making sure their children’s teeth are brushed twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.”

 “A 28-year-old man has been banned from the roads after he was caught driving without insurance twice in five months.”

 “He was thrice a major contender for his country’s highest office.”

 “In time for the 2019 tourist season, Scotland’s most modern catamaran ROPAX ferry with the name Alfred proudly displayed on her bow and stern, will start her thrice-daily crossings of the Pentland Firth’s busiest sea route.”

 (The term “thrice” is less popular than “twice;” “three times” is used more commonly than “thrice,” while “twice” is used more often than “two times.”

  Photo credit: D Coetzee