Why hyphenate compound words

In a temporary compound that is used as an adjective before a noun, use a hyphen if the term can be misread or if the term expresses a single thought i. Most compound adjective rules are applicable only when the compound adjective precedes the term it modifies.

If a compound adjective follows the term, do not use a hyphen, because relationships are sufficiently clear without one. When two or more compound modifiers have a common base, this base is sometimes omitted in all except the last modifier, but the hyphens are retained. When do you need to use a hyphen for compound words?

General Principle 1 If a compound adjective can be misread, use a hyphen. Or day, week, month , etc. Note that when hyphens are involved in expressing ages, two hyphens are required. Many writers forget the second hyphen:. Rule 5. Never hesitate to add a hyphen if it solves a possible problem. Following are two examples of well-advised hyphens:. Confusing: Springfield has little town charm. With hyphen: Springfield has little-town charm.

Without the hyphen, the sentence seems to say that Springfield is a dreary place. With the hyphen, little-town becomes a compound adjective, making the writer's intention clear: Springfield is a charming small town. Confusing: She had a concealed weapons permit. With hyphen: She had a concealed-weapons permit.

With no hyphen, we can only guess: Was the weapons permit hidden from sight, or was it a permit for concealed weapons? The hyphen makes concealed-weapons a compound adjective, so the reader knows that the writer meant a permit for concealed weapons.

Rule 6. When using numbers, hyphenate spans or estimates of time, distance, or other quantities. Remember not to use spaces around hyphens. Examples: p. Note: Most publishers use the slightly longer en dash instead of a hyphen in this situation. Examples: — p. Rule 7a. In general, with physical quantities, use a hyphen when the unit, abbreviation, or symbol is spelled out.

Examples: pound bag six-centimeter caterpillar Note: the number is spelled out here because it's less than ten and not used with a symbol or abbreviation. Rule 7b. In general, hyphens are not used between the numeral and the abbreviation or symbol, even when they are in adjectival form. Examples: 80 lb. Rules 7a. However, specialized fields such as healthcare, education, and science often adhere to their own specific stylebook. Rule 8. Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.

Examples: thirty-two children one thousand two hundred twenty-one dollars. Rule 9a. Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions. But do not hyphenate fractions introduced with a or an. Examples: More than one-third of registered voters oppose the measure. More than a third of registered voters oppose the measure. Rule 9b. When writing out numbers with fractions, hyphenate only the fractions unless the construction is a compound adjective. Correct: The sign is five and one-half feet long.

Correct: A five-and-one-half-foot-long sign. Incorrect: The sign is five-and-one-half feet long. See also Rule 2b in Writing Numbers. Rule 10a. Do not hyphenate proper nouns of more than one word when they are used as compound adjectives. Incorrect: She is an Academy-Award nominee. Correct: She is an Academy Award nominee. Rule 10b. However, hyphenate most double last names. Example: Sir Winthrop Heinz-Eakins will attend. Rule Many editors do not hyphenate certain well-known expressions.

They believe that set phrases, because of their familiarity e. Examples: a high school senior an ice cream cone a twentieth century throwback. However, other editors prefer hyphenating all compound modifiers, even those with low risk of ambiguity.

There are also hyphenated particle compounds, like in-house , off-the-cuff , off-line or offline , and on-line or online. The styling of Internet internet? We continue to be eagle-eyed lexicographers in our Western Massachusetts-based aerie. Compounds—new, permanent, and temporary—are formed by adding word elements to existing words or by combining word elements. In English, there are three basic word elements: the prefix such as anti- , non- , pre- , post- , re- , super- , the suffix as -er , -ism , -ist , -less , -ful , -ness , and the combining form mini- , macro- , psuedo- , -graphy , -logy.

Prefixes and suffixes are usually attached to existing words; combining forms are usually combined to form new words photomicrograph. For the most part, compounds formed from a prefix and a word are usually written solid superhero. However, if the prefix ends with a vowel and the word it is attached to begins with a vowel, the compound is usually hyphenated de-escalate , co-organizer , pre-engineered. But there are exceptions: reelection , cooperate , for example.

In addition, usage calls for hyphenation between a prefix and a capitalized word or number post-Colonial, preth century. A prefixed compound that would be identical with another word, if written solid, is usually hyphenated to prevent misreading re-creation , co-op , multi-ply. Prefixed compounds that might otherwise be solid are often hyphenated in order to clarify their formation, meaning, or pronunciation non-news , de-iced , tri-city.

Also, such compounds formed from combining forms like Anglo- , Judeo- , or Sino- are hyphenated when the second element is an independent word and solid when it is a combining form Judeo-Christian , Sino-Japanese , Anglophile. Some prefixes, and initial combining forms, have related independent adjectives or adverbs that may be used where the prefix might be expected. Thus, the writer must decide which style to follow quasi intellectual or quasi-intellectual ; pseudo liberal or pseudo-liberal.

Compounds formed by adding a suffix to a word are usually written solid yellowish , characterless , except those having a base word that has a suffix beginning with the same letter or is a proper name jewel-like , American-ness.

Then, there are unique formations such as president-elect and heir apparent. Additionally, when a word is used as a modifier of a proper name, it is usually attached by a hyphen "a Los Angeles-based company," "a Pulitzer Prize-winning author". Permanent compounds are those that are so commonly used that they have become—need we say—permanent parts of the language. Temporary compounds are created to meet a writer's need at a particular moment, and they are often formed of an adverb such as well , more , less , still followed by a participle, and hyphenated when placed before a noun "a still-growing company," "a more-specialized operating system," "a now-vulnerable opponent".

Temporary adjectival compounds may also be formed by using a compound noun. If the compound noun is an open compound , it is usually hyphenated so that the relationship of the words to form an adjective is immediately apparent to the reader "a tax-law case," "a minor-league pitcher," "problem-solving abilities".

If readily recognizable, the units may occur without a hyphen "a high school diploma" or "a high-school diploma"; "an income tax refund" or "an income-tax refund". Also, if the words that make up a compound adjective follow the noun they modify, they fall in normal word order and are, therefore, no longer considered unit modifiers that require hyphenation "The decisions were made on the spur of the moment"; "They were ill prepared for the journey"; "The comments were made off the record"; "I prefer the paint that is blue gray".

There are also compounds formed from a verb followed by a noun that is its object, and they tend to be styled as solid carryall , pickpocket. Writers also use a hyphen to make the "unit" relationships of nouns immediately apparent English-speakers , Spanish-speaking students , fund-raiser , gene-splicing , but compounds in which a noun is the object of a following verb-derived word tend to be written open problem solver , air conditioning.

And compounds formed from a noun or adjective followed by man , woman , person , or people , as well as denoting an occupation, are regularly solid congresswoman , salespeople.

We're pretty sure about those guidelines. These compounds may be hyphenated or solid. The compounds with two-letter particles such as by , to , in , up , on are most frequently hyphenated since the hyphen aids in quick comprehension lean-to , trade-in , add-on , start-up. Compounds with three-letter particles off , out , through are hyphenated or solid with about equal frequency spin-off , payoff , time-out , follow-through , giveaway. Except for established words like passerby , these compounds are hyphenated hanger-on , runner-up , listener-in , falling-out , goings-on , talking-to.

There are also the two-word established forms consisting of a verb followed by an adverb or a preposition, which is styled open: set to , strike out. Then we have words composed of a particle followed by a verb that are usually styled solid upgrade , bypass. The verb form of a compound noun whether open or hyphenated most often is spelled with a hyphen field-test , water-ski , rubber-stamp , whereas a verb derived from a solid noun is written solid mastermind , brainstorm , sideline.

That one's simple enough.