Where Have All the Hyphens Gone? Long Time Passing ...
?? Susan Rooks ?? The Grammar Goddess
Editor / Proofreader of business, nonfiction, and podcast content. ??BIZCATALYST 360° Columnist ????The Oxford Comma????Solopreneur??NOT A PODCASTER ??Dog Lover??Spunky Old Broad ??
First posted December 2014, again in 2016, updated 2019 . . . why? Because from what I keep seeing, it’s worth reminding everyone who uses the AMERICAN grammar system of the basic rules for hyphens.
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Using hyphens seems to have become a non-event. Seriously. Are we so confused about how to use them that we just ignore them? Are there hoarders out there, filling jar after jar with them, betting on the law of supply and demand? (Good luck with that.)
Hyphens are essential when the meaning of a sentence can get lost without one – or a reader can end up laughing at a writer – neither of which is usually a good outcome.
So, here are three rules for using hyphens (beyond using them to break words into syllables):
1. In compound numbers, when writing the numbers out. The first one is twenty-one and the last is ninety-nine.
a. I have thirty-nine confirmed pledges.
b. This is the twenty-first century.
c. The check was for three hundred forty-four dollars.
2. In compound nouns, which unfortunately do NOT follow any pattern. These are terms you’ll have to look up in a dictionary or a good grammar book like The Gregg Reference Manual or the Chicago Manual of Style (see its table for hyphenation here). Some are separate words (decision maker), some are hyphenated (a 12-year-old), and some are one solid word (nonprofit). And they often change over time (which is totally unfair, right?).
3. In compound adjectives, which DO follow a rule; at least, they're supposed to. These are multiword phrases that come in front of a noun and act as a compound adjective, describing the noun, and all elements of the phrase must be connected with a hyphen. But if the phrases are used elsewhere, they are usually not hyphenated (but see below).
a. She is an 8-year-old child. She is an 8-year-old (compound noun). She is 8 years old.
b. We have completely up-to-date information. The information is completely up to date.
c. In August, stores hold back-to-school specials. The kids are going back to school!
d. The company built three-level townhouses. The townhouses all have three levels. Without the hyphen, “three” could be seen as a quantity, the number of townhouses that were built, although that would also lead a reader to think some were level and some were not.
e. Let’s hold a follow-up meeting next week. Let’s hold a follow-up (compound noun) next week. Let’s follow up next week.
Update December 2019: There’s one word – high – that has a definition that can really change the meaning of a sentence when it’s not followed by a hyphen. And I keep seeing it being used incorrectly.
NO: She’s a high achiever. (Hmmmm? Drinking / smoking too much?)
YES: She’s a high-achiever. He’s a high-profile client. They’re high-powered citizens.
Yes, hyphens matter!
Have you seen other examples that can show why hyphens matter? Please share them with us!
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Helping HR professionals make better decisions
5 年Hi Susan, thanks for these posts which are both fun and informative....I'd appreciate your opinion about a phrase that's become something of a bone of contention between a colleague and I.? The phrase is "It's an ideal-fit solution."...as opposed to "It's an ideal fit solution". I'm trying to explain that the latter reads like the description of a solution that's very appropriate (and that probably goes to the gym regularly).....which would you suggest?? And yes, I'm fairly confident of my version but would appreciate an authoritative opinion.? Thanks in advance and have a great Christmas & New Year.
Volunteer English Tutor with Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at TAFE Queensland. Retired civil engineer with 50 years experience in geotechnical investigation and consulting.
5 年Hey, Susan, we don’t tend to use hyphens between compound numbers here in Oz. Perhaps we just don’t know where to draw the line, or maybe we just don’t use them as a rule? ??????
Creative Writer, making magic of the mundane, balancing simplicity and complexity, breathing life into both long and brief writing projects.
5 年I still like using them
Leading & Growing Consulting Practices ★ Connecting Analytics, Economics & Strategy ★ Developing Tomorrow's Leaders & Experts ★ Speaker ★ Onalytica Key Opinion Leader Industry 4.0
5 年Here is one for you "multifamily apartment" or "multi-family apartment".? People across the industry use both. There is an entire industry for you to straighten out!??