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Learn how to form and style compound words with hyphens, solid, or open forms. Find out the patterns and exceptions for prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, and unit modifiers.
- Hyphen Rules in Compound Words
Should a compound word be two words, one word, or...
- Hyphen Rules in Compound Words
May 23, 2023 · A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. It’s not interchangeable with the various dashes. Hyphens are often used in compound modifiers when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying. If you’re not sure whether a compound word has a hyphen, check your preferred dictionary.
Next, use hyphens when you’re connecting words with high and low. For instance, high-level, low-impact, high-earning, and so on. In a sentence, this would look like this: She earned a high-sum bonus for hitting all the sales targets in the last quarter.
The hyphen (-) is a type of punctuation mark that connects these multiple words. Place the hyphen between the letters without any spaces. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a hyphen is a “punctuation mark that divides or compounds different numbers, word elements, and words.” However, not all compound words use a hyphen. Hyphen vs. Dash.
In some cases, whether or not a compound should be hyphenated is open to debate. For example, noun-plus-adjective compounds should be hyphenated whether they’re attributive or predicative according to many style experts.
Should a compound word be two words, one word, or hyphenated? Here are some (loose) guidelines on using hyphens. The forms of compounds (two words used together) in English are not fixed.
Mar 28, 2024 · When you deal with compound words containing “high” or “low,” ensure proper hyphenation to minimize confusion. Whenever these words precede a noun, they should be hyphenated. For instance, you should write high-octane gasoline instead of high octane gasoline and low-flying airplanes rather than low flying airplanes.
