Explanation at your level:
An hour is 60 minutes. There are 24 hours in one day. You use it to tell time. For example: 'I will see you in one hour.'
We use hour to talk about how long something takes. If a movie is two hours long, it lasts for 120 minutes. It is a very common word for daily plans.
You can use hour to talk about duration or frequency. We often say 'I work eight hours a day' or 'The bus comes every hour.' It is essential for talking about your work schedule or travel.
Beyond simple timekeeping, hour is used in many idiomatic expressions. You might hear 'the eleventh hour' to describe a last-minute decision, or 'man-hours' in a professional project management context.
In advanced English, hour can represent a metaphorical moment in time, such as 'one's finest hour.' It is frequently used in academic contexts to measure productivity or historical timelines, requiring precision in both writing and speech.
At the mastery level, hour connects to historical concepts of timekeeping and philosophical discussions about the nature of duration. It appears in literary works to denote urgency or destiny, often carrying a weight that transcends simple chronological measurement.
Mot en 30 secondes
- An hour is 60 minutes.
- The H is silent.
- It is a countable noun.
- Commonly used in idioms.
When we talk about time, the hour is one of our most important building blocks. It helps us organize our day, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep.
Think of an hour as a slice of a 24-hour day. Because it is a consistent unit, it allows people all over the world to coordinate meetings, travel, and school schedules effectively.
The word hour has a fascinating journey through history. It comes from the Old French word hore, which traces back to the Latin hora, and even further to the Greek hōra.
Originally, these ancient words didn't always mean exactly sixty minutes. In ancient civilizations, an hour was often defined as a fraction of daylight, meaning summer hours were longer than winter hours! It wasn't until mechanical clocks became common that we settled on the fixed 60-minute duration we use today.
You will hear hour used constantly in daily life. Common phrases include in an hour, for hours, and every hour.
In formal settings, like business or science, we use it to describe duration or deadlines. In casual conversation, we often use it to express frustration, such as saying, 'I've been waiting for hours!' to show that time felt like it was dragging on.
Idioms make language colorful. 1. The eleventh hour: The latest possible time before it's too late. 2. At all hours: Happening constantly throughout the day and night. 3. Happy hour: A period when drinks are cheaper at a bar. 4. Hour of need: A difficult time when someone requires help. 5. Man-hours: A measure of the amount of work one person can do in an hour.
The word hour is a countable noun. We say an hour (because the 'h' is silent, we use the article 'an'). The plural form is simply hours.
Pronunciation is tricky because the 'h' is silent! It sounds like the word our. In the UK and US, the IPA is /ˈaʊər/. It rhymes with sour, flower, power, tower, and flour.
Fun Fact
The silent H was kept in English to reflect the French origin.
Pronunciation Guide
Silent H, sounds like 'our'.
Silent H, rhymes with power.
Common Errors
- Pronouncing the H
- Confusing with 'our' (possessive)
- Adding an extra syllable
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Very common word
Easy to spell
Silent H can be tricky
Very clear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Avanc
Grammar to Know
Articles (A/An)
An hour
Countable Nouns
Three hours
Prepositions of time
In an hour
Examples by Level
The class is one hour long.
The class = 60 minutes
Use 'an' before hour
I will be there in an hour.
In 60 minutes
Future tense
It is two hours until lunch.
Two times 60 minutes
Plural hours
I sleep eight hours every night.
8 hours of sleep
Noun usage
See you in an hour!
Goodbye for now
Greeting
The train leaves in one hour.
Travel time
Noun
He waited for an hour.
Duration of waiting
Past tense
One hour is sixty minutes.
Definition
Fact
The meeting lasted for two hours.
We have an hour to finish the test.
She works five hours on Saturdays.
The park closes in an hour.
I read for an hour every night.
It takes an hour to drive there.
Can you wait an hour for me?
The shop is open for twelve hours.
The project requires many man-hours to complete.
We arrived at the eleventh hour.
I've been working for hours without a break.
The flight is a three-hour journey.
He is available at all hours of the day.
They spent hours talking about the future.
The service is available on an hourly basis.
It was a long hour of waiting.
This was his finest hour as a leader.
The deadline was pushed to the eleventh hour.
We need to optimize our billable hours.
The situation changed at the eleventh hour.
She is a woman of the hour.
The factory operates twenty-four hours a day.
He works odd hours at the hospital.
The tension grew with every passing hour.
The crisis demanded action at the eleventh hour.
His contribution was vital during our darkest hour.
The study tracks progress on an hour-by-hour basis.
They worked through the small hours of the morning.
The outcome was decided at the final hour.
She dedicated countless hours to her research.
The city comes alive in the late hours.
It was a decision made in an hour of desperation.
The bells chimed at the stroke of the hour.
He was a man who lived for the present hour.
The company is facing its most critical hour.
They labored through the silent hours of the night.
The change happened at the eleventh hour of the negotiations.
Her resolve was tested in the hour of trial.
The history of the clock is a history of the hour.
He arrived at the appointed hour.
Collocations courantes
Idioms & Expressions
"the eleventh hour"
at the last possible moment
He finished the report at the eleventh hour.
neutral"happy hour"
time when drinks are cheaper
We went to the bar for happy hour.
casual"man-hours"
work done by one person in one hour
The project took 500 man-hours.
formal"at all hours"
all the time, day or night
He calls me at all hours.
casual"your finest hour"
your moment of greatest success
Winning the game was his finest hour.
literary"the small hours"
the early hours after midnight
They stayed up until the small hours.
neutralEasily Confused
Homophones
Our is possessive, hour is time.
Our hour is up.
Both are time
60 seconds vs 60 minutes.
Wait a minute, not an hour.
Related concepts
Clock is the tool, hour is the unit.
The clock shows the hour.
General vs specific
Time is general, hour is specific.
What time is it in an hour?
Sentence Patterns
Subject + verb + for + [duration] + hours
I waited for two hours.
Subject + verb + in + [duration] + hour
I will arrive in an hour.
Every + hour
The bus comes every hour.
Adjective + hour
It was a long hour.
Noun + hour
The rush hour is bad.
Famille de mots
Nouns
Adjectives
Apparenté
How to Use It
10
Formality Scale
Erreurs courantes
The 'h' is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound.
You don't need the word 'time' after 'ago'.
Use singular after 'one'.
Use singular after 'every'.
Redundant word usage.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a giant clock on your wall.
When Native Speakers Use It
To describe duration.
Cultural Insight
Rush hour defines city life.
Grammar Shortcut
An + silent H.
Say It Right
Rhymes with our.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't pronounce the H.
Did You Know?
It comes from Latin.
Study Smart
Use it in sentences.
Plural rule
Just add S.
Formal usage
Use in reports.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
An hour is 'our' time.
Visual Association
A clock face with 60 minutes.
Word Web
Défi
Count how many hours you study today.
Origine du mot
Old French / Latin
Original meaning: A period of time
Contexte culturel
None
The concept of 'rush hour' is a major part of life in cities.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At work
- Work hours
- Hourly rate
- Man-hours
Travel
- Travel time
- Arrival hour
- Rush hour
School
- Class hour
- Study hours
- Office hours
Social
- Happy hour
- Meet in an hour
- Late hours
Conversation Starters
"How many hours do you work?"
"What do you do in your free hours?"
"Do you prefer morning or evening hours?"
"How long is your commute in rush hour?"
"What is your favorite hour of the day?"
Journal Prompts
Write about your most productive hour today.
Describe what you do during rush hour.
If you had one extra hour, what would you do?
Reflect on a time you were at the eleventh hour.
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsYes, always.
Always 'an hour'.
24.
A time with heavy traffic.
Yes, 'hours'.
Yes.
Usually, yes.
Pay per hour.
Teste-toi
I will see you in ___ hour.
Use 'an' before vowel sounds.
How many minutes are in an hour?
An hour is 60 minutes.
The 'h' in hour is pronounced.
The 'h' is silent.
Word
Signification
Common compound nouns.
The eleventh hour is an idiom.
Score : /5
Summary
An hour is a standard 60-minute unit of time, and remember: the 'h' is always silent!
- An hour is 60 minutes.
- The H is silent.
- It is a countable noun.
- Commonly used in idioms.
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a giant clock on your wall.
When Native Speakers Use It
To describe duration.
Cultural Insight
Rush hour defines city life.
Grammar Shortcut
An + silent H.
Exemple
The movie starts in one hour.
Related Content
Apprendre en contexte
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
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