Word
Definition
n. a short line (-) you put between words or parts of words to join them, like in well-known.
n. a short horizontal mark (-) used to join compound words or to divide a word at a line break. Distinct from the longer en dash and em dash in both form and function.
Examples
“You need a hyphen in the word well-known.”
“The teacher reminds the class to use a hyphen in mother-in-law on the worksheet.”
“The copyeditor inserted a hyphen in long-term plan to clarify that long modifies term, not plan directly.”
Examples
simple
“You need a hyphen in the word well-known.”
contextual
“The teacher reminds the class to use a hyphen in mother-in-law on the worksheet.”
complex
“The copyeditor inserted a hyphen in long-term plan to clarify that long modifies term, not plan directly.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hyphen” in context.
Verb
01. add hyphen
“Add a hyphen between 'well' and 'known' to make 'well-known'.”
verb + noun
02. hyphen joins
“The hyphen joins two words to make 'check-in'.”
noun + verb
03. insert hyphen
“Insert a hyphen to change 'e mail' into 'e-mail'.”
verb + noun
04. remove hyphen
“Remove the hyphen to change 'co-operate' to 'cooperate'.”
verb + noun
05. use hyphen
“We use a hyphen to join words like 'mother-in-law'.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. extra hyphen
“There is an extra hyphen in 'a-pple' - it should be 'apple'.”
adj + noun
07. missing hyphen
“There is a missing hyphen in 'well known' - it should be 'well-known'.”
adj + noun
08. unnecessary hyphen
“The teacher crossed out the unnecessary hyphen in 'very-happy'.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. omission of hyphen
“The omission of the hyphen in 'well known' is a small mistake.”
noun + prep + noun
10. use of hyphen
“The use of a hyphen in 're-enter' makes the meaning clear.”
noun + prep + noun
11. add a hyphen between words
“Add a hyphen between words to make 'state-of-the-art'.”
12. remove the unnecessary hyphen
“Please remove the unnecessary hyphen in 'very-tall'.”
Etymology
From Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ὑφέν (huphén, “together”), contracted from ὑφ’ ἕν (huph’ hén, “under one”), from ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + ἕν (hén, “one”), neuter of εἷς (heîs, “one”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/hyphen
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR