Hyphenated compound words are multi-word terms with a hyphen or hyphens between their component words. Over time, many hyphenated compounds become closed compounds— teen-ager became teenager, for instance.

Hyphenated compound words are comprised of two or more individual words and are separated by a hyphen. Knowing when to add a hyphen can be tricky, but it’s easier if you remember that a compound adjective, or a compound word that modifies a noun, is usually hyphenated.

Hyphenated compound words place a hyphen between the two words. For example, “well-being” is a hyphenated compound word because it connects two words together with a hyphen.

Joining the words in a compound noun with a hyphen (s) is useful to show that the words are the same grammatical entity. It speeds up reading. Compound nouns with prepositions are nearly always hyphenated because it prevents the prepositions being read as different grammatical entities.

Hyphenated compounds are typically noun phrases being used as adjectives (e.g. “long-term”) or as verbs (e.g., “strong-arm”) or verb phrases being used as nouns (e.g., “check-in”) or as adjectives (e.g., “mind-blowing”).