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Summary
A hyphen (-) is used to join two or more words together to make a new word and to avoid uncertainty in regard to its meaning. In this summary, you will learn how to use hyphens to clarify meaning.
A hyphen is used to link words together to form compound adjectives.
compound adjective | use in a sentence |
| brown-eyed | My brown-eyed sister wears glasses. |
| absent-minded | My teacher can be absent-minded some days. |
A hyphen can also be used to link words together to form compound nouns.
compound noun | use in a sentence |
| brother-in-law | My brother-in-law is very kind. |
| self-confidence | She is very self-confident about her writing skills. |
Note: Compound numbers between and are written with a hyphen. However, the numbers , , etc. are written without.
Sometimes hyphens are used to avoid ambiguity in meaning.
without hyphen | with hyphen | meaning with hyphen |
| well behaved child | well-behaved child | The child is well mannered. |
| sixteen year old | sixteen-year-old | The person is sixteen years old. |
| resent | re-sent | Something has been sent again |
How to use a dictionary
Forming compound words
FAQs
Question: Do I hyphenate numbers?
Answer: Compound numbers between 21 and 99 are written with a hyphen. However, the numbers 20, 30, etc. are written without.
Question: When do I use a hyphen?
Answer: A hyphen is used to link words together to form compound adjectives. It can also be used to link words together to form compound nouns.
Question: What is a hyphen?
Answer: A hyphen (-) is used to join two or more words together to make a new word and to avoid uncertainty in regards to its meaning.
Theory
Exercises
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