What is a Hyphen? Definition and Usage Examples for College Students

📚 What is a Hyphen?

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that joins words or parts of words. It's not the same as an en dash (–) or an em dash (—), which are longer and used differently.

Quick Study Guide

• 🔗 Joining Words: Hyphens connect two or more words to create a compound word (e.g., well-being, part-time).
• 🔢 Compound Modifiers: Use hyphens when two or more words act as a single adjective before a noun (e.g., a state-of-the-art facility, a know-it-all attitude).
• ⛔ Avoid Redundancy: Don't use a hyphen if the modifier comes after the noun (e.g., the facility is state of the art).
• ➗ Fractions and Numbers: Hyphens are used in written-out fractions and numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine (e.g., one-half, forty-two).
• ✍️ Prefixes: Use a hyphen with prefixes like self-, ex-, and all- (e.g., self-esteem, ex-president, all-inclusive). However, many prefixes don't require hyphens (e.g., rewrite, predetermine). Consult a dictionary if unsure.
• ✨ Clarity: Hyphens can prevent misreading (e.g., re-sign vs. resign).
• 📝 Suspended Hyphens: In a series of hyphenated words with a common base, the hyphens can be suspended (e.g., short- and long-term goals).

Practice Quiz

1. Question 1: Which of the following sentences uses a hyphen correctly?
   1. A. The student is well known.
   2. B. The student is well-known.
   3. C. The student is a well known person.
   4. D. The student is a well known-person.
2. Question 2: Choose the correctly hyphenated compound adjective.
   1. A. High quality product
   2. B. High-quality product
   3. C. Highly quality product
   4. D. Highly-quality product
3. Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen with a prefix?
   1. A. The exwife was bitter.
   2. B. The ex-wife was bitter.
   3. C. The ex wife was bitter.
   4. D. The ex wife-was bitter.
4. Question 4: Identify the correct usage of hyphens in numbers.
   1. A. Thirty one students attended.
   2. B. Thirty-one students attended.
   3. C. Thirty one-students attended.
   4. D. Thirty- one students attended.
5. Question 5: Which sentence uses a hyphen for clarity?
   1. A. Please recover the data.
   2. B. Please re-cover the furniture.
   3. C. Please recover the furniture.
   4. D. Both A and B are correct, depending on context.
6. Question 6: Select the sentence with suspended hyphens used correctly.
   1. A. We offer short and long term solutions.
   2. B. We offer short- and long term solutions.
   3. C. We offer short and long-term solutions.
   4. D. We offer short- and long-term solutions.
7. Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a compound noun that requires a hyphen?
   1. A. Email
   2. B. Checkbook
   3. C. Daughter-in-law
   4. D. Airplane