Hyphenation

Some Cases Where Hyphenation Is Recommended

1. Compound words are generally hyphenated when they precede the noun they modify
Examples:
The fresh-cut grass
A made-up excuse
State-of-the-art equipment

2. A derivative of a compound retains the solid or hyphenated form of the original compound
unless otherwise indicated
Examples:
ill-advised  ill-advisedly
praiseworthy  praiseworthiness

3. When the unit modifier precedes the word modified and contains a past or present participle
Examples:
flight-tested model
decay-producing moment
But do not hyphenate when such unit modifier is a predicate adjective:
Example:
The aircraft was flight tested.

4. When an active compound verb is derived from a noun form consisting of separate words
Examples:
Langley flight-tested that configuration.
To cross-brace such a structure is impossible.

5. When the unit modifier is a combination of color terms

Examples:
blue-gray residue
red-purplish erythema

6. When a unit modifier contains numbers other than designation

Examples:
10-year period
500-mm vessel

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Some Cases Where Hyphenation Is Not Recommended
1. When words appear in regular order and the omission causes no ambiguity in sense or sound
Examples:
real estate
rock candy
book value

2. When the first element of the unit modifier is a comparative or superlative

Examples:
higher order calculations
better paid workers
best liked play

but higher-than-market price, lighter-than-air craft

3. When the first element is an adverb ending in ly

Example:
relatively accurate prediction

4. When a foreign phrase is used as a unit modifier

Examples:
a priori condition
in vivo observation

5. When a unit modifier has a letter or number designation as its second element
Examples:
class A preservative
type I modulation

6. When the unit modifier is enclosed in quotation marks

Example:
“elliptical style” symbol list
(This point may be ignored if the given compound usually appears as a hyphenated entity in the
dictionary.)

7. When an intensifier is used before a unit modifier

Example:
very well known person

8. When chemical and most medical names are used as modifiers

Examples:
The amino acid sequence
A Parkinson’s disease medication

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 Prefixes and Suffixes
The general practice in the American usage is not to use hyphens in the following words, which is
being encouraged here.

Prefixes:
anti, co, intra, re, de, hyper, hypo, infra, macro, micro, non, pre, post, pseudo, semi, sub, supra, trans, un

Suffixes:
like, less, wide, etc.

Some Exceptions
Compounds with these prefixes and suffixes are sometimes (but not always) hyphenated to avoid
doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant, and sometimes even to prevent initial misreading or
mispronunciation.

To avoid doubling of vowels and consonants

Examples:
anti-art
anti-administration
co-opt (but cooperation)
de-emphasize
non-negative

To avoid tripling of constants

Examples:
Shell-like
Hull-less

To prevent initial reading or mispronunciation:

Examples:
re-cover versus recover (I will re-cover the sofa when I recover from the flu.)
re-lay versus relay (Relay the message. They will re-lay the tiles.)
re-lease versus release (Will you re-lease the apartment? Will they release the hostages?)

When one of these prefixes is combined with a word that begins with a capital letter
Examples:
anti-American
un-Christian
pseudo-British
trans-European

When all and self are used as prefixes

Examples:
all-around
all-American
self-image
self-confident

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