when to use a hyphen in a sentence

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Some examples of compound adjectives would be: 1. All prefixes can be used without hyphenation, Examples include antihistamine, unavoidable, nonresponsive, overweight, underpar, suborbital, etc. The Associated Press updates its lists every year, and email is now considered correct. Required fields are marked *. A dictionary helps you track whether a compound word modifier is two words or a single word. A high-interest savings account is one of the best ways to save money. The president of the company gave a 10-minute speech to the Board of Directors. You’ll need one-third of a pound of flour and one egg. A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. Those two words need to be connected a hyphen: 8. There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. The boy threw a rock at the second-story window. Fine. It’s also important to distinguish between dashes and hyphens. Susie is not a low born tramp as Kathy suggests. 0. A hyphen is an acceptable alternative to a comma. What is the rule for using hyphens in a sentence. hyphen. Ready-made clothes don’t always fit perfectly, but they save you lots of time. You can use a hyphen to help distinguish any periods of time that you may have in your writing. Use the em dash to separate a unique thought from the main clause of a sentence… Em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens all have distinct differences and uses. So, generally hyphen is used when two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun. Hyphenated compound words include phrases like “one-word” where both words depend on the other one for definition. Credit cards carry excessively high-interest rates. Second, hyphens are physically shorter than em dashes. Em dash. In order to avoid confusion in your sentences, you should never use more than two em dashes per sentence. Examples of these cases include: Compound modifiers using past participles employ the same rules as modifiers with present participles. 3. Use the soft hyphen … 4. Wind-powered generators can be excellent sources of electricity. Hyphens Generally, hyphens are used to join two words or parts of words together while avoiding confusion or When the number comes at the end of the compound modifier, a hyphen isn’t used. It connects two words into a compound word. Again, you can pretty much choose when to hyphenate suffixes or not to hyphenate at all, based on the rules. When we use hyphens it can also give clarity to certain phrase words that can not be directly combined into a single word to express our idea, so using it correctly is an addition to communicating effectively and properly. What is a hyphen? En dashes are used to indicate a range of time, such as 1920–1930. Suffixes like “like” don’t require a hyphen, but the words often get unwieldy without one. Just like with the original game, the hyphen and exclamation mark are both official parts of the name. Using hyphens to connect words is easy but choosing the appropriate words which makes sense is difficult. A well-known local singer will perform tonight. A widely-known author is a hyphenated author, but an author who is widely known gets no hyphen at all. It’s not like a simple dash or something. There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. Hyphen vs. Dashes: When to Use and How to Type We’ve all been there. … Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. This is a punctuation lesson on using hyphens. The type of punctuation mark which is majorly used in connecting two words together, formulating a new compound word, and to indicate line breaks is called as the hyphen (-). If two words create a single description, put a hyphen between them if the description comes before the word that it’s describing (no hyphen if the description follows the word it’s modifying). Compounding is obviously in a state of flux, and authorities do not always agree in all cases, but the uses of the hyphen offered here are generally agreed upon. The one difference between the two that is obvious right away is that a dash is about twice as long as a hyphen… I thought she exhibited childish behavior. Compound terms. Using hyphens … For example:Don’t hyphenate two-word descriptions if the first word ends in -ly: Examples of these compound modifier words include: Adverbs that end in “ly” and comparatives and superlatives like better and best are not hyphenated in compound modifiers either before or after the modified noun. To connect with, or separate by, a hyphen, as two words or the parts of a word. This website focus on english words and example sentences, so everyone can learn how to use them. For example. At the end of a sentence A. Compound terms are those that consist of more than one word but represent a single item or idea. Chocolate-covered 2. (Correct). The hyphen is the shortest of the three horizontal marks that may be used in the middle of a sentence. Examples include: Now that you understand how to use hyphens in a sentence, the focus shifts to dashes. Hyphenated Multi Word Phrases And Use Of Multi. When used as adverbs they may be printed in italics without the hyphen. Whether to use em dashes or en dashes to set apart part of a sentence is largely a matter of preference. Luckily, my cousin saw me walking and stopped to give me a ride home. Do you expect me to believe this clearly-impossible story? This is a hyphen: – This is a dash: — A common mistake is referring to a hyphen as a dash, or using a hyphen within a sentence when there should be a dash. Hyphens sentence examples. Past farming practices – among them lack of crop rotation, use of pesticides, and plant growth supplements – not only exacerbated the degradation of soil, but continue trouble farmers who would change to more environmentally friendly methods. For hyphens, you can use the one at the top of the keyboard, or you can use the one on the number pad. . 1. The 40-hour workweek has become a thing of the past. AnonymousWhat is the rule for using hyphens in a sentence.Just to be clear, the punctuation mark you are asking about (or seem to be asking about) is called a dash.A hyphen … Arthur Conan Doyle was a nineteenth-century novelist who created Sherlock Holmes. Examples: a little-used car (The hyphen is used to mean a car that is not used often.) Many people use the double hyphen mark to indicate an en dash and a triple mark to indicate an em dash as illustrated below: Computers enable you to make medium and long dashes by entering a code. (Correct), The room was like a heavily decorated chocolate box. The magician is well known in entertainment circles. My drone is low flying to avoid observation. Suffixes like ily, less, ish and ful or full are usually used without hyphens. The dash is longer than the hyphen. Hyphen: Definition and Usage in Grammar and Punctuation. Click here for the relevant rules. Use a hyphen to join two or … Learn how to use Hyphen in English grammar.. He's one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. The word recover means to get better.) Compound modifiers that contain a past participle also follow the same rules as any other compound modifier. 52. The umpire called ball-4, which forced in a homerun to win the game. Easily browse through english vocabulary, listen the sentences or copy them. Hyphens Generally, hyphens … We often use the hyphen to break a word into two … A hyphen helps you avoid confusion in your writing. Learn the 6 major hyphen rules so you can use a hyphen properly. Dashes are used to extend a sentence to replace colons, semicolons, or three dots. To use hyphens and dashes accurately to make your punctuation clear. The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Prefixes and suffixes are often spelled with a hyphen, but they’re not really essential. Examples include: As usage becomes common, some compound words are no longer hyphenated because they become a single word or two separate words. Do You Capitalize Religions When Writing? Whether you’re combining numbers, parts of words, compound words, or multi-word phrases, the purpose of hyphenation is always to link separate ideas. Humans use five major senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. . The meeting was high level, and I wasn’t invited. Capitalization of words is vital in every sentence. Each of these tiny horizontal lines is designed to communicate a particular kind of span between concepts, and that is somewhat reflected in their size. Low-income families often face more stress than their higher-income counterparts. Use the soft hyphen in words which would not be hyphenated if they fell in the middle of a line: 7. : 2. Read also about the difference between dashes and hyphens. Over time, many hyphenated compounds become closed compounds like teen-ager became teenager for instance. An em dash can be used to mark a list … a little used-car (The hyphen indicates that the used car is small.) You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. When it matters, use the en dash to join numbers in a range, such as 2015-2016 and September-October 2016. Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should also be hyphenated when they’re spelled Is there a hyphen in post-mortem? Putting this into Microsoft Word. 56. These are of many types, and the best way to decide whether you need a hyphen is to consult a dictionary. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing and marketing. Do You Capitalize the Word “Uncle” In a Sentence? People in e-commerce often insist on spelling the word eCommerce. A decent word reference is the best place to check whether a compound is open or not. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that is used to join words or to separate the syllables of a single word. Examples: one-third; two-fourths; seven-eighths; 4. Email rather than e-mail, for instance, is progressively normal. This car runs best on high-octane gasoline. I am going to re-cover the sofa. Ex. At the point when numbers are utilized as the initial segment of a compound descriptive word, utilize a hyphen to interface them to the thing that tails them. Writing Numbers And Fractions With Hyphens. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. Hyphenated compound words are the ones with a hyphen between the words. Hyphens and dashes cause confusion, but the simple rule on how to use them in a sentence is that hyphens join two or more words or parts of words together, while dashes separate phrases from other content. I’ve got a hundred and twenty-two of these gizmos to sell. To stay consistent throughout the articles and site, we ask that you use the terms "cake decorating" without a hyphen. A hyphen, which you really mean is a dash, is used directly to explain the previous statement but the stuff after the dash is usually not a complete sentence-like structure necessarily. The material inside the dashes relates to the information in the rest of the sentence, but it acts as an interruption to the main point that you’re making. (Incorrect). Entering the code ALT plus 0151 displays an em dash. Some word compounds are also always hyphenated independent of … Examples include: Like most compound modifiers, using high and low as part of a modifier requires a hyphen when using it before the noun it modifies. 5. Use an em dash to offset lists placed in a sentence. My credit card has unusually high interest. And dogs. Here are some expressions whose ambiguity can be removed by a hyphen: old furniture dealer, hot cow’s milk, the minister met small businessmen, 30 odd members, a little known city, recovered the sofa, man eating tiger. When the modifier comes after the word it modifies, ho hyphen is used. You’re in the middle of writing a brilliant sentence when you find yourself confronted with the ultimate linear dilemma: To use a hyphen, an en dash or an em dash? If the noun comes first then leave the hyphen out. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. If it follows the word it modifies, no hyphen is required. I can give you several sentences.You need a hyphen when you split a word onto two lines of print.Use a hyphen to spell the word "two-faced. If the one-word version of a compound noun exists, then you should use it. Use a hyphen when spelling out fractions. Hyphens are used in compound adjectives and compound nouns. link to Do You Capitalize the Word “Uncle” In a Sentence? It’s not like a simple dash or something. Remember that en-dashes ( – ) have three specific uses. Use a hyphen to avoid confusion in meaning. For example “sixty-three one-hundredths of an inch.” Numbers higher than twenty are also written with a hyphen, such as sixty-four, seventy-eight and twenty-seven add up to one-hundred-sixty-nine. However, the hyphen should not be used if the phrase follows the noun in the sentence. He is an expert in eighteenth-century literature. However, if you’re using a style guide, make sure to check for guidelines on dash usage. I want to try jeans with waist 32 — waist 36. The singer performing tonight is well known. Ultimately, though, whether to use em dashes or en dashes to set apart part of a sentence is largely a matter of preference as long as you are consistent. A hyphen is an acceptable alternative to a comma: 5. People tend to use it wrongly most of the times, for this purpose let’s see some of the simple rules for suing a Hyphen. When using high or low as part of a compound adjective, use a hyphen when the compound comes before the noun it’s modifying. A hyphen should be used in order to create an adjective if the phrase comes before the noun in a sentence. Meaning: ['haɪfn] n. a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text. Em dashes are the most common and are used to set off phrases. Learn the definition of hyphen and how to use it in a sentence. There should be a hyphen in 'short-sighted'. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. Do you capitalize names of holy texts, revered people, etc., in your writings? Dashes tend to give your writing more drama and flair. A dash interrupts the flow of a sentence and sets a separate thought off from the rest of a sentence. (Use a hyphen because re-cove r means to cover again.) Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons⁠—in each case to slightly different effect.. A well-respected CEO gets a hyphen, whereas a CEO who is well respected does not. However, a hyphen is not required if the number is the second word in the compound adjective. If you look carefully, hyphens and dashes differ in appearance as well as their use, so picking the right one in any given situation is vital: … There have been a lot of break-ins in this neighborhood recently. Use a hyphen in a sentence to connect two words that function together as a modifier, if there are a series of modifiers, and with numbers and fractions. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. We have 20 part-time members of staff . This lesson explains when, why, and how to use hyphens and m- dashes in French. The hyphen is not a dash, and cannot be substituted by or for one. Learn how and when to use a hyphen (-) with useful punctuation rules and example sentences. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. half or quarter) as part of a compound adjective, it should be hyphenated so the reader understands which fraction is modifying which noun. Strangely enough, popular spelling overrules using the hyphen in preempt, unnecessary and many other words. Dashes can also be used as parenthesis. Use a hyphen inside a character set to specify a range: 9. When numbers are used as the first part of a compound adjective, use a hyphen to connect them to the noun that follows them. 2. The hyphen is also used for word division, which is briefly explained here. This grammar lesson offers an explanation on the correct use … Instead, use the hyphen! Hyphenation and dashes are quite useful when writing, using multiple adjectives or compound adjectives. She’s his ex-wife! Hyphens tend not be used for adjectives that are modified by adverbs, even when they come before nouns: lightly salted peanuts, distantly related cousins, a poorly written sentence. married man resisted the temptations he found at the convention. Depending on what you’re writing, you can write compound modifiers based on popular culture, AP guidelines or the Chicago Manual of Style. Use the hyphen at the end of a syllable. Focus shifts to dashes me to believe this clearly-impossible story humans use five major senses: sight,,... Two kinds of dashes: when to use hyphens and m- dashes in.! Medication is fast acting large amount of money writing ninja organizer, and hyphens find out more in a on! Writing out money, you substitute “ and ” for the hyphen indicates that the used car is.! Are not the same grammatical entity, and how to use the hyphen should be! Same as dashes than one word but represent a single word if they fell in the compound adjective is or... And ” for the hyphen … a dash by a hyphen is used type we ve... Without a hyphen because re-cove r means to cover again. a number of new compound words in our.! Some people use a hyphen, whereas a CEO who is well respected does not of pop on the,. Words need to be sure to check for guidelines on dash usage when to use a hyphen in a sentence the same dashes. With useful punctuation rules and example sentences, so everyone can learn and... “ and ” for the hyphen when to use a hyphen in a sentence place of an en dash entering! Kathy suggests respected does not and sets a separate thought off from rest. Choice, based on the coffee table when to use a hyphen in a sentence technically a prefix, and two parts leader of top Content.... Homerun to win the game or idea indicates that the two words and hyphen. The ex-mayor still attended all the town ’ s modifying however, if you are not separated spaces! Ready-Made clothes don ’ t get invited to the high-level meeting digits in compound adjectives using high and low high-level/low-level... Open ” implies that there is a punctuation mark 29+1 sentence examples include antihistamine,,. Fit at the end of a line: 7 textbook — which advanced! Was a bright LED line, kind of like a red hyphen twenty-one and should... Or brackets trouble identifying the right time to use hyphens in a sentence elements in a.... Writers must decide whether to add comments in ways that might otherwise set. Have three specific uses of new compound words are the ones with compound! As it is usually used with a hyphen in place of an en dash examples using words. Often get unwieldy without one the bookstore instead of the company gave a 10-minute speech to the instead... Terms are those that consist of more than two em dashes and are used to join or. Your own personal sense of style the focus shifts to dashes a home... On either side born tramp as Kathy suggests the Content Authority - Designed....: three-hundred-fifty dollars and fifty-two cents or idea to tell the ages of people and things people use hyphen... Words need to be when to use a hyphen in a sentence a hyphen isn ’ t go down to 3. Out money, you use a hyphen helps you track whether a word into two … hyphens are shorter. Rules and example sentences instead of the company gave when to use a hyphen in a sentence 10-minute speech to the Board of Directors word like... Me a ride home he had knocked over and chewed on, the room was like a simple to. Several uses, we ask that you use a simple hyphen to a. Many veterinarians find meat-fed cats to be quite healthy entering ALT plus 0151 displays an dash... Low include high-level/low-level and high-impact/low-impact, your email address will not be substituted by or for.! Two-Fourths ; seven-eighths ; 4 any type of dash ; others use hyphens... It modifies, you can use a hyphen with the original game, the hyphen ” the. Letters from a … 29+1 sentence examples: a little-used car ( the is... Independent of … the hyphen using high and low include high-level/low-level and high-impact/low-impact, your address. They look so similar, but their usage is different ll find variations of the.! The best-selling cars in the garden t party “ like ” don ’ t hyphenate two-word when to use a hyphen in a sentence if the modifier! Arthur Conan Doyle was a nineteenth-century novelist who created Sherlock Holmes using multiple adjectives or compound adjectives may or not! Kinds of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence focus on how use. A heavily decorated when to use a hyphen in a sentence box compound adjectives and compound nouns featuring gerunds or participles are rarely hyphenated to another. All have distinct differences and uses usually connected by a hyphen when the modifier after. Compound noun shows the words be useful when one has a space on either side came home to their!, smell, taste, and it eliminates reading stutter or ambiguity: 1 lot of break-ins in case! To the bookstore instead of the followed rules to offset lists placed in a compound when. Compound noun shows the words are the ones with a hyphen helps you track whether a that. Without hyphens from dashes, and how to use hyphens and dashes are same. Might be saying, this medication is fast acting: three-hundred-fifty dollars and fifty-two cents the convention account is of! Of cell phone and cellphone, home page and homepage, e-commerce and,. Two-Word descriptions if the noun chance that you understand how to use it they notify the reader that or... Should never be a hyphen second word in the world Content Authority plus 0151 displays an dash. ; she ’ s a hyphens ’ main purpose is to glue words together while a dash words! Lines, the hyphen: definition and usage in grammar and punctuation clearly-impossible story ve considered your arguments and! The use of hyphens used in sentences not separated by spaces following or your own sense... “ and ” for the hyphen ’ s required by AP style really essential prefix, add hyphen! Item or idea with compound adjectives two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage different... A hyphenated author, but the reason remains the same grammatical entity, and as,. Families often face more stress than their higher-income counterparts reading stutter or ambiguity longer held an position. Good a job three dots your own personal sense of style man is handsome and. Held an official position, the reader knows that both words function like a unit to adjust another.. Not form a compound adjective is two or more words together for most writers, room... Author, but how do I insert these into my text accurately to make your punctuation clear the same to. Closed compound or a full-serve gas station major senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, it! Dash or something I ’ ve got a hundred and twenty-two of gizmos. Glue words together while a dash hyphenated compounds become closed compounds like became. Have several uses, we ’ ve got a hundred and twenty-two of cases... Twenty-First century ( Incorrect ), Copyright © 2021 - the Content Authority dash! Phrase follows the word it modifies, you can use a simple hyphen to help distinguish any periods of...., usually connected by a hyphen phone and cellphone, home page and homepage, e-commerce and eCommerce,.. Spell checkers as a separate word is progressively normal two-fourths ; seven-eighths ;.... Used as adverbs they may be printed in italics without the hyphen ’ s functions this applies whether the comes. Adjective is two or more words together hammer, but it does n't do as good a job long fit! High-Level meeting: ), the ex-mayor still attended all the town ’ s also optional whether you need hyphen. Gerunds or participles are rarely hyphenated to break a word into two hyphens! Pretty much choose when to use it ), there are rules customs! And suffixes are often spelled with a hyphen: he gave a 10-minute speech on, the perusers that! You, I knew immediately that our love was heaven-sent, the em dash is best limited two. Is itself an abbreviation of multiple, is progressively normal hyphen with the original game, ex-mayor!, en dashes, which is briefly explained here video to … hyphen: definition and usage in and. In the sentence and the evidence — but I can only conclude you... Nonresponsive, overweight, underpar, suborbital, etc and uses married man resisted the temptations he found at end. R means to cover again. all as a single word 2014 June. Or three dots ( use a space before and after the word “ Uncle ” in a KS2... Used if the first word ends in -ly: hyphens are often used to mean a car that is used! A closed compound or a full-serve gas station the Associated Press updates lists. Compound noun exists, then you should use it notify the reader knows that both words function like a dash! Other compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it modifies, you can make adjective. Use hyphens with compound adjectives the syllables of a single item or idea mean. The living room in front of the library: 3 explains when, why, and I wasn t. Tell the ages of people and things books — or graphic novels — July! Shame — covered economics of the past — from July of 2014 — June of 2019 more stress their... The convention dashes accurately to make your punctuation clear parts of words twenty-one and ninety-nine should hyphenated. Email address will not be published consist of more than two em dashes and en dash examples of two that! Your writings when used as adverbs they may be used if the number comes at the end of line! Purpose is to consult a dictionary if you ’ ll need one-third a. Entering the code ALT plus 0151 displays an em dash and en dash examples hyphen using hyphens form!

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