What is a hyphen?
A hyphen a mechanical tool used to divide and connect separate elements of individual words. Though it looks quite similar to a dash, the hyphen is used to clarify meaning in particular words rather than sentences.
A hyphen is used:
- In some compound words A compound word is created when two words are combined to make a new word with a new meaning. Incorrect hyphenation can change the meaning of the word(s). Hyphenated compound words are usually used to describe nouns.
Examples:
- Look! There’s a man eating shark!
- Look! There’s a man-eating shark!
- In fractions In order to designate fractions in writing, we use hyphens.
Examples:
- We must add two thirds to get the correct answer.
- We must add two-thirds to get the correct answer.
- In numbers twenty‐one through ninety‐nine In English, these numbers require hyphens in writing.
Examples:
- I gave the waitress twenty five dollars and she never gave me change!
- I gave the waitress twenty-five dollars and she never gave me change!
- To connect prefixes to nouns and adjectives. A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify or change its meaning. Usually, hyphenated prefixes are used to separate two consecutive vowels to avoid confusion.
Examples:
- We went a caroling on Christmas Eve.
- We went a-caroling on Christmas Eve.
- To connect a single letter to a word This rule is usually used to designate an action.
Examples:
- I need to de-ice my car.