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Where to Stick the Twig?
By Gururaj B.S. and Prabhat N.R.
Read this apocryphal story:
“In 1962, during the flight of Mariner I, a computer programmer forgot a hyphen when programming the rocket’s course and the Mariner veered off course and was lost. This hyphen-loss cost the NASA program 18.5 million dollars.""
- Unknown source
Compound Words
This column is read by a lot of wanna-bes.
In this sentence, the hyphen links two words “wanna” and “bes” into “wanna-bes,” a single expression.
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Always Hyphenate |
Example |
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All forms of in-law |
Brother-in-law |
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Great compounds |
Great-grandfather |
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Vice compounds |
Vice-chairperson |
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Elect compounds |
Secretary-elect |
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Self compounds |
Self-confident |
Compound Adjectives and Unit Modifiers
He is writing a low-level program.
It is a double-edged sword.
He is a well-educated man.
Remember the following points when hyphenating compound adjectives:
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Hyphenate a compound adjective if it begins with all-, cross-, double-, half-, high-, low-, and self-. Sometimes words in the compound are referred to as conjuncts.
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Hyphenate an adjectival phrase if it takes the attributive position in the sentence (precedes the noun it modifies).
They have a state-of-the-art development center.
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Do not hyphenate a compound adjective if the first conjunct ends with a ly suffix.
India is a fully educated nation.
F In this sentence, the first conjunct ends with a ly suffix, and it serves the purpose of an adverb modifying the adjective educated.
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Do not hyphenate a compound adjective if it comes after a noun it modifies. In other words, if the compound adjective takes the predicative position, do not hyphenate the compound. Here the temporary compound figures as a permanent open compound.
He is well educated.
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Use a hyphen with compounds made up of a single letter or a numeral and a noun or participle.
He signed a 1-year contract with the company.
It is a T-shaped device.
Similar Words with Different Meanings
The team is being reformed.
The team is being re-formed.
I will re-present this topic tomorrow.
I will represent this topic tomorrow.
Look at these sentences carefully. They use similar words, but their meanings are different. To avoid ambiguity, use hyphens.
Prefixes and Suffixes
Most prefixes in English do not need hyphens. Use a hyphen when there are two vowels or three consonants in a row, or to prevent misreading. In derivational compounds, the main word is referred to as the root word or the base of the compound.
Use a hyphen when the root word begins with the same vowel ending the prefix.
They are developing an anti-infiltration device.
However, if the prefix is co, de, pro, pre, or re, do not use a hyphen.
I thank you for your cooperation.
Use the preexisting software.
Use a hyphen if the prefix in the compound is followed by a proper noun.
Everybody is talking about the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Hyphenate ex- compounds where ex means former.
Narayanan, the ex-president, is coming today.
Hyphenate prefixes when they are isolated from the root word of the compound.
Here are the pre-installation requirements.
Use a hyphen with off- prefix when the compound is used as a unit modifier.
This is an off-list discussion.
Use a hyphen with compatible, in, and specific suffixes when they are used as unit modifiers.
You should purchase software-compatible hardware.
It’s a built-in feature.
These are product-specific changes.
Please send your questions and suggestions to Gururaj B.S. and Prabhat N.R.
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