When Should Hyphens Be Used?
Generally, You Need the Hyphen Only If the Two Words Are Functioning Together as an Adjective Before the Noun They're Describing. If the Noun Comes First...
Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they're describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out. This wall is load bearing. It's impossible to eat this cake because it is rock hard.
What is a hyphen used for?
The hyphen ‐ is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation.
How do you use a hyphen in writing?
Hyphen Use
- Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun: ...
- Use a hyphen with compound numbers: ...
- Use a hyphen to avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters: