3.8 Hyphens

A hyphen (-) looks similar to a dash but is shorter and used differently.


Hyphens between Two Adjectives That Work as One

Use a hyphen to combine words that work together to form a single description.

The fifty-five-year-old athlete was just as qualified for the marathon as his younger opponents.

My doctor recommended against taking the medication, since it can be habit-forming.

My study group focused on preparing for the mid-year review.


Hyphens When a Word Breaks at the End of a Line

Use a hyphen to divide a word across two lines of text. You may notice that most word-processing programs will do this for you. If you must manually insert a hyphen, place the hyphen between two syllables. If you are unsure where to place the hyphen, consult a dictionary or move the entire word to the next line.

My supervisor was concerned that the team meet-

ing would conflict with the client meeting.


Key Takeaways

  • Hyphens join words that work as one adjective.
  • Hyphens break words across two lines of text.

This is adapted from the book Successful Writing (v. 1.0).

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Successful Writing (ENC0025) Copyright © 2023 by Florida State College at Jacksonville is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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