timetable. timeline. time frame.

In my proposals, I include a section called either “timeline” or “timetable.” This section identifies how long the project at hand will take. Pretty standard stuff.

The problem: Neither “timeline ”nor “timetable” seems to mean precisely what I just said — that I can accomplish this project within, say, 3-6 weeks. Here are the definitions of these words from Merriam-Webster:

timeline: a schedule of events and procedures

timetable: a schedule showing a planned order or sequence

I suppose “duration” would be the technically correct word, but it doesn’t sound right. If I wanted to be conversational, I could call the section, “How Long?”

Yet after a little Googling, I was reminded of “time frame,” which means “a period of time especially with respect to some action or project.”

That’s the mot juste!

Going forward, my proposals will no longer mention “timelines” or “timetables.” Instead, they’ll cite “time frames.”