How to use Hyphen with Compound Words?

Hyphens are used to create compound words, which can be nouns, adjectives, or verbs. These compounds convey meanings that are distinct from what the words might suggest individually.

Compound Nouns

Hyphens are often used to form compound nouns, where two or more words are combined to create a new noun with a specific meaning. For example:

• Mother-in-law
• Check-in

Compound Adjectives

When two or more words work together to modify a noun, they are hyphenated if they precede the noun. This clarifies that the words are working together as a single modifier. For example:

• High-speed internet. Here, “high-speed” modifies “internet.”
• Well-known author

Avoiding Ambiguity

Hyphens in compound words can also help avoid ambiguity, making the meaning of the compound clearer. For example:

• “A small animal hospital”. A hospital for small animals
• “A small-animal hospital”. Hyphen clarifies the hospital specializes in small animals

Numbers and Ages

Hyphens are used for compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine, and for written ages when they act as adjectives or nouns:

• Thirty-three
• A five-year-old boy

Prefixes and Suffixes

Some compound words formed with prefixes and suffixes require hyphens, especially in cases where omitting the hyphen would lead to confusion or misreading:

• Ex-president (Without the hyphen, “expresident” could be confusing.)
• Self-esteem

In English grammar, a hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to join words or parts of words. It serves several purposes, including creating compound words, avoiding ambiguity, and breaking words at the end of lines.

The hyphen, a small punctuation mark (-), plays a crucial role in enhancing clarity, precision, and readability in written English. It’s primarily used for forming compound words like “mother-in-law” and “part-time,” where it clarifies meaning and indicates a close relationship between words.

Let’s deep dive into the topic to learn more about the hyphen (-).