A hyphen (-) joins words together to make a compound word or to avoid confusion. Some compound words are always hyphenated ("mother-in-law"), some are written as one word ("bedroom"), and some as two separate words ("ice cream") — dictionaries settle these cases. Hyphens are also used to join words acting together as a single describing word before a noun ("a well-known author", "a five-year-old child").
Example
"The well-known author wrote a five-year-old's bedtime story about her mother-in-law's ice cream shop." — "well-known" and "five-year-old" are hyphenated compound adjectives, "bedtime" is one word, "ice cream" is two words.
Key terms
Hyphen:
A short punctuation mark (-) that joins words together.
Compound word:
A word made by joining two or more words together.
Questions
1. A hyphen is used to:
End a sentence
Join words together
Show possession
Ask a question
2. A compound word is made by:
Removing letters
Joining two or more words together
Adding a question mark
Capitalising a word
3. Which of these uses a hyphen correctly?
Well known author
Well-known author
Well, known author
Wellknown author
4. Some compound words are written as:
Only one word, always
Only two words, always
One word, two words, or hyphenated, depending on the word
Never allowed
5. "Bedroom" is an example of a compound word written as:
Two separate words
One single word
A hyphenated word
Neither
6. "Ice cream" is an example of a compound word written as:
One single word
Two separate words
A hyphenated word
Neither
7. Hyphens can help avoid:
Punctuation entirely
Confusion in meaning
All grammar
Capital letters
8. Which sentence correctly uses a hyphenated compound adjective before a noun?
She is a well known author.
She is a well-known author.
She is a well, known author.
She is a wellknown author.
9. "A five-year-old child" uses a hyphen because:
The words together act as a single describing word before the noun
Hyphens are always required before nouns
It is a spelling mistake otherwise
Hyphens replace commas
10. Which of these compound words is typically written as two separate words?
Bedroom
Ice cream
Well-known
Mother-in-law
11. Which of these compound words is typically hyphenated?
Bedroom
Ice cream
Mother-in-law
Football
12. Whether a compound is one word, two words, or hyphenated is usually determined by:
Personal preference only
Dictionary convention
Random choice
Grammar rules that never vary
13. Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen to join a compound adjective?
The up to date report was useful.
The up-to-date report was useful.
The up to-date report was useful.
The up-to date report was useful.
14. Removing a necessary hyphen from a compound adjective before a noun can:
Always improve clarity
Sometimes create confusion about meaning
Never change meaning
Fix all grammar issues
15. Which pair shows how a hyphen changes meaning?
"A man eating shark" vs "A man-eating shark"
"A dog" vs "A cat"
"Fast" vs "Slow"
"Big" vs "Small"
16. Why does "a man-eating shark" need a hyphen to avoid confusion with "a man eating shark"?
The hyphen shows "man-eating" describes the shark as a single idea, rather than suggesting a man is eating a shark
Hyphens never change meaning
Both phrases mean exactly the same thing
Hyphens are only decorative
17. Which sentence correctly hyphenates a compound number used as an adjective?
She is twenty one years old.
She is twenty-one years old.
She is twenty, one years old.
She is twentyone years old.
18. A compound adjective placed AFTER the noun it describes (e.g. "the author is well known") typically:
Still requires a hyphen
Usually doesn't require a hyphen
Requires two hyphens
Is always incorrect
19. Understanding when to hyphenate compound words mainly helps a writer:
Avoid ambiguity and follow standard spelling conventions
Avoid using adjectives entirely
Replace commas everywhere
Remove all compound words
20. Which best explains why dictionaries are the ultimate authority on compound word spelling (one word, two words, or hyphenated)?
Compound word conventions are inconsistent and have to be checked individually
All compound words follow one universal rule
Hyphenation is always optional
There is no correct spelling for compound words
Answer key (parent copy)
1. Join words together
2. Joining two or more words together
3. Well-known author
4. One word, two words, or hyphenated, depending on the word
5. One single word
6. Two separate words
7. Confusion in meaning
8. She is a well-known author.
9. The words together act as a single describing word before the noun
10. Ice cream
11. Mother-in-law
12. Dictionary convention
13. The up-to-date report was useful.
14. Sometimes create confusion about meaning
15. "A man eating shark" vs "A man-eating shark"
16. The hyphen shows "man-eating" describes the shark as a single idea, rather than suggesting a man is eating a shark
17. She is twenty-one years old.
18. Usually doesn't require a hyphen
19. Avoid ambiguity and follow standard spelling conventions
20. Compound word conventions are inconsistent and have to be checked individually