Compound nouns and verbs

Compound nouns

Compound nouns can be formed in various ways (e.g. noun + noun, noun + verb, verb + noun, adjective + noun, noun + adjective).

Compound nouns that have become well established generally do not use a hyphen.

Set solid most common forms of:

• noun + noun

  carpark     headache     shipwreck     website

  Noun + noun forms are more likely to be set open if either of the component words has more than 1 syllable

• noun + verb, or verb + noun

• adverb + verb

• adjective + noun

Use a hyphen for:

• nouns in which the modifier follows the base word

• nouns with rhyming components

If the components of a compound noun are of equal weight (as opposed to the first one modifying the second), use an en rule:

Compound verbs

Compound verbs can be formed in various ways (e.g. noun + verb, adjective + verb, verb + verb, adverb + verb).

Compound verbs often do not use a hyphen, unless they are a recent construction or the word would look confusing.

In general, set solid:

• common verbs formed from a noun + verb

• compound verbs consisting of a verb + verb

• compound verbs consisting of an adverb + verb

However, use a hyphen for less well-established terms (e.g. dog-sit) and words where the boundary between 2 parts of the word would otherwise be confusing (e.g. mass-produce). When in doubt, check your dictionary or style guide.

Compounds that can be either nouns or verbs

Compounds that can be either nouns or verbs (e.g. build-up vs build up) are hyphenated differently depending on their role in the sentence.

Follow the noun or verb rule for these compounds:

• Set solid when the phrase is a well-established noun; use a hyphen if it is less common.
• Leave open when the phrase is a verb.