When To Use A Hyphen in Grammar

When to Use a Hyphen: With Rules and Examples

All languages have some rules for writing to convey a clear and proper message. For this, we follow grammar and, most importantly, punctuation, which emphasizes generating quality content and professional writing. The hyphens in writing are significant punctuation marks that show the connection between words. This article will guide you through all the aspects of how to use hyphens.

What are Hyphens and Their Significance in Writing

Hyphens make it easy for the reader to read the compound words that hyphens connect and separate. The Hyphens meaning is tomake the connection between two independent words to give the same meaning or to create separation for clear pronunciation. It also shows the word’s connection, which breaks off at the end of the line. Usually, this type of occurrence should be avoided, but if this happens, clarify the words with hyphens.

The hyphen symbol on the keyboard

The hyphen symbol is a little (-) minus or dash sign. But it’s not wide and extensive like an exact dash, which we usually use. It’s present on almost all the keyboards and mobile keypads.

List of words with hyphens

We are sharing a list of words that use hyphens to clarify the meaning and pronunciation. Remember the rule of not adding space between hyphens and the second word.

  • Mother-in-law
  • Good-night kiss
  • Anti-aircraft
  • Non-negotiable
  • On-site
  • Lip-sync
  • Fire-roasted
  • Sun-bleached
  • Up-to-date
  • Self-esteemed
  • One-way
  • Open-minded
  • Stone-bodies
  • Hyper-pigmentation
  • X-ray
  • Falling-out

All these words are used grammatically as hyphens in sentences. Let’s watch out for its types and how these types contribute to writing.

Types of Hyphens in Writing

The three main types are included in this punctuation mark. First, the hyphens, second, the en dash, and last, the em dash. All these are slightly different in symbol, but using these types of hyphens in writing indicates various purposes. Let’s have a quick look at their purposes.

Types of dashes include en dash, hyphen, and em dash
  • Hyphens: Hyphens connect two words to present the same meaning and help pronounce complex vocabulary. Its symbol is (-).
  • En Dash: En dash is similar to other dashes, but it is used for mentioning between the index, time, and date. It’s considered a formal punctuation mark, but avoids its excessive use; the symbol is ( _ ).
  • Em Dah: It is usually not used in formal writings. It is used to replace parentheses, commas, brackets, and many other punctuation marks. It even comes when a subject of writing suddenly changes, and also shows the longest pause. Its symbol is ( __ ).

Hyphens Examples

Are you looking forward to some hyphen examples to understand its placement? Here are some extremely related examples from our daily conversations.

  • Peter should take some self-control therapy.
  • The time has been fast-moving since he left my side.
  • His father-in-law accommodates him in his penthouse for this month.
  • My co-workers are extremely cooperative.
  • He invested his money probably in mid-July.

Examples of hyphens in a sentence 

Using hyphens in a sentence is not complicated, but you should know where and how healthy the use of hyphens is for your writing, whether formal or informal. Extracting some hyphens in sentences is given below;

  • After attending a school reunion party, his self-esteem was boosted.
  • The table turns three-sixty degrees now.
  • There is a club on the next street for all-nighters.
  • He won all matches except the last one in which he was runner-up.
  • I will surely sue my ex-husband for the disrespect he showed me and my family.

How To Use Hyphens Correctly

If in a sentence, a combination of words appears with vowels, then we use a hyphen to avoid confusion. For example:

  • He is from the group of anti-intellectuals.

Before a Consonant and a prefix, we use a hyphen for better readability, for example:

  • The old-car dealer sells a Bugatti to my friend at a reasonable price.

This article explains a lot to you about hyphens. Suppose you have more queries about other punctuation marks, such as where to place commas, full stops, the purpose of parentheses, apostrophes, and many others, such as writing guidance for formal research. In that case, our website will assist you best. Let’s see what differentiates hyphens from dashes.

What Is The Difference Between Hyphens And Dashes?

HyphensDashes
Its symbol is (-)Dashes are a little wider ( _, __ )
It connects two words to give a meaningIt separates words for better readability
Create compound wordsCreate pauses, and replace other punctuation
Example: Self-esteem, in-laws, break-inExample: 5_8, Dec_Feb are the winter season.

Hyphen vs dash, which is more useful?

Both have distinct purposes, and we cannot say which is better and more useful. However, punctuation is vital to clarify the context and beautify the writing. Words with hyphens are considered formal writing compared to dashes; they show informal writing behaviour. Professional writers use punctuation in their writing to produce precise and better text.

Wrap up

We always make sure to produce the best answers to your questions related to writing, whether it’s about plagiarism, anything about writing, or speech ideas. This article is about one of the punctuation marks, how to use hyphens. A hyphen is a vital tool that helps avoid awkward and uneasy writing material.

You can use it in writing without exaggerating its appearance in every sentence. You can use hyphens to replace the dashes as well. However, after compiling your draft,  revise your writing once it is done, or consult us for reliability.

FAQs

No, the hyphen is not necessary in all writings, but if the word appears that is hard to read without a hyphen, then it must be added.

Dashes are not considered in formal writing as they show a pause or a sudden change of topic, but they can be used in an index.

Yes, hyphens appear in names, especially in France, it's common to have a name with hyphens. For example: Marie-Mortagoues, Jimmy-paster Oliver, Lavis-sostritch

Punctuation adds tone to words. The full stop, comma, hyphens, and quotation marks add soul to our writings. It provides clarity in reading and in context to a reader.
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