24 Hyphens
24
Hyphens
A hyphen (-) is used to join compound words, to connect parts of words, and to split words at the end of typewritten lines of text.
24a Use a hyphen to join words that function as a unit
Some compound nouns and verbs are spelled as one word (download ), some are spelled as two words (washing machine), and some are spelled using hyphens (foul-up). Check a dictionary when you are unsure; if you do not find the compound listed in your dictionary, spell it as two words.
Use a hyphen to join words that together modify a noun.
However, when the first word of the compound ends in -ly or when the compound adjective follows the noun it modifies, no hyphen is used.
24b Use a hyphen with some prefixes (all-, ex-, great-, self-) and suffixes (-elect)
Use a hyphen for clarity to prevent confusion with certain combinations of prefixes and base words.
Recreation has a different meaning from re-creation.
24c Use a hyphen when spelling out fractions and the numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine, in word-number combinations, and to indicate inclusive numbers
| two-thirds finished | twenty-two sources |
24d Use a hyphen between syllables to split a word at the end of a typewritten or handwritten line
Although most word-processing programs automatically break the line before a long word and move the word to the next line, in typewritten or handwritten text, you should use a hyphen to divide any words that fall at the end of a line. Divide words between syllables; never break a one-syllable word. Divide a compound word between its parts. Words can also be divided between a prefix and root or between a root and suffix. Check your dictionary if you are uncertain about where to break a word.
Viking invaders failed to conquer Ireland because the country was governed by a number of petty kings rather than by a central authority that could be effectively overthrown; however, by the tenth century this situation began to change.