We combine words to make compound nouns. The first word tells us the purpose or type, and the second word tells us who or what the noun is.
A toothbrush is a brush what we use for our teeth.
Ice cream is cream made with ice.
A six-pack is a pack of six objects.
And so a hotdog is a dog that is hot? Well, no. But you get the idea.
Notice that in our examples above, toothbrush doesn’t have a space between the words, ice cream is separated into two words, and six-pack has a hyphen.
I wish that I could give you a clear set of rules about when compound words are closed (together), open (separated), or hyphenated. But grammar experts have different opinions, and dictionaries often offer different forms.
Here are some general guidelines.
1.) Single letters, phrases, and words that repeat or rhyme are usually hyphenated.
x-ray
t-shirt
hide-and-seek
a know-it-all
nitty-gritty
a no-no
2.) Proper nouns are usually open.
North America
Atlantic Ocean
3.) Jobs are usually closed.
firefighter
salesperson
Notice: Police officer is open, as are words that contain worker, as in construction worker.
4.) Family connections usually take a hyphen.
brother-in-law
half-sister (or half sister)
great-granddaughter (or great grandmother)
5.) Compound words made up of one or more longer words are usually open.
mountain bike
convenience store
These are very general, and there are so many exceptions and different opinions! The best way to learn how to write compound nouns is to read, read, read, and to check your favourite dictionary when you aren’t sure.
Pronunciation
Stress the first word! This means that there is an emphasis on the first word, while the second word is said normally. There is no pause between the words.
Listen to the two examples and compare how they sound.
A yellowjacket is a type of wasp. Yellowjacket is a compound noun.
John has a yellow jacket. Here, the noun jacket is modified by the adjective yellow.
The words are the same, but we pronounce the compound noun a little bit differently.
yellowjacket – compound noun:
yellow jacket – adjective + noun:
Can you connect the words to make compound nouns?
Try the Compound Nouns for Arguments Quiz!
