Hyphens

Overview

A hyphen (-) is the shortest horizontal line in punctuation. It connects words or parts of words so that meaning is clear. Hyphens are different from en dashes (–) and em dashes (—), which are longer and have different uses.

Joining compound words

Hyphens connect words that work together as one idea.

• Example: My sister-in-law is visiting this weekend.

Hyphens in compound adjectives

Use hyphens when two or more words come before a noun and act as a single description.

• Example: She wore a bright-green dress.

Hyphens with numbers

Numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine are hyphenated when written in words.

• Example: The child is forty-two months old.

Hyphens with fractions

Fractions written as adjectives should be hyphenated.

• Example: We ate a two-thirds portion of the pie.

Hyphens with prefixes

Sometimes, prefixes take a hyphen to avoid confusion or awkward spelling.

• Example: Please re-enter your password.

Hyphens with suffixes

Some suffixes, like -elect or -style, take a hyphen for clarity.

• Example: The president-elect will take office in January.

Avoiding confusion in meaning

Hyphens help prevent misunderstandings in writing.

• Example: I saw a man-eating shark (a shark that eats people).

• Example: I saw a man eating shark (a man eating shark meat).

Words that change over time

Some words start with hyphens but drop them as they become more common. Always check a dictionary if you’re not sure.

• Example: Email was once written as e-mail.

Avoiding misuse of hyphens

Do not use hyphens to make regular words plural or to break words randomly.

• Example: 

                 Incorrect: We bought apple-s at the store. 

                 Correct: We bought apples at the store.

Summary

Hyphens connect words, clarify meaning, and are used in compound adjectives, numbers, fractions, prefixes, and suffixes. They should not be confused with dashes, which serve different purposes. Using hyphens correctly makes writing clearer and more precise.