Hyphen (-) | Rules of Correct Punctuation
A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to connect two or more words (or parts of words) to show that they form one unit of sense—e.g., “fast-paced,” “shake-up,” “four-year-old,” “post-punk.”
Mistakes with hyphens are very common: leaving them out when they’re needed, adding them when they’re unnecessary, or putting them in the wrong place. This is mainly because the same series of words may be hyphenated or not depending on the role it plays in a sentence.
This table covers the main guidelines for using hyphens correctly, which are then explained in more detail below.
| Hyphenate … | Don’t hyphenate … |
|---|---|
| Compound adjectives that come before the noun: “well-known rules” | Compound adjectives that appear after the noun: “The rules are well known.” |
| Phrasal verbs used as nouns: “There’s been a break-in!” | Phrasal verbs used as verbs: “The burglar broke in through the skylight.” |
| Some compound nouns, especially if more than two words (check a dictionary): “brother-in-law,” “jack-of-all-trades” | Most compound nouns: “high school,” “business owner,” “apple pie” |
| Prefixes connected with a numeral or capitalized word, or to avoid confusion with another word: “pre-Columbian,” “mid-1960s,” “re-pair” (meaning “pair again”) | Other prefixes generally: “predate,” “midcentury,” “repair” |
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