When to hyphenate a compound word
Is the
compound
word a noun
or adjective?
(Click as
appropriate)
Adjective
Noun
General:
Do not use a hyphen after prefixes, e.g. anti-, co-,
multi-, non-, over-, post-, pre-, re-, semi-, sub-, un-,
and under-.
Exceptions
1. Before a capital letter, e.g. post-Victorian
2. To distinguish two words, e.g. “re-cover,“ which
means “cover again” rather than “recover,” which
means “get back.”
3. To separate two identical letters, e.g. anti-icing.
Reference:
The Modern Language Association of America. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd
ed. New York: MLA, 2008. Print.
Compound Adjective
Does the
compound
adjective begin
with an adverb
ending in –ly, too,
very or much,
e.g. “too hasty
judgment”?
No
Does the
adjective come
before or after
the noun it
modifies?
Before
Hyphenate (probably).
Double check with conditions to
hyphenate list
Yes
Do not
hyphenate
Conditions to Hyphenate a Compound
Adjective:
1. It begins with an adverb such as
better, best, ill, lower, little, or well.
2. It ends with a present participle (e.g.
“loving”) or a past participle (e.g.
“inspired”) of a verb.
3. It is formed by a number and noun,
e.g. “twelfth-floor apartment.”
After
Unique situations:
Hyphenate the adjective if it is necessary
for understanding, e.g. “children’s-book
library.” “Children’s” describes “book” not
“library” so it is hyphenated.
Do not hyphenate familiar unhyphenated
compound terms, e.g. “high school,” “social
security,” and “liberal arts.”
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Compound Noun
Does the first
noun modify
the second,
e.g. “father
figure”?
Yes
Do not
hyphenate
No
Are the
nouns
coequal, e.g.
“scholarathlete”?
Yes
Hyphenate
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