Hyphen examples

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that joins related words together to create compound words like: 

• follow-up 
• up-to-date
• full-time (adjective only)
• father-in-law
• five-year-old 
• sugar-free

It clarifies word meaning, forms new ideas, and allows writers to use language in a cool, creative way.

Hyphens can also indicate when a word is cut off, either at the end of a line or because someone stops speaking abruptly. (“Have you seen the pineapple mons-”)

So when is a hyphen actually necessary, when is it optional, and when don’t you need one at all?

While some situations can include a hyphen, there are several occasions when you need to use a hyphen to be grammatically correct.

For example:

• to join two adjectives that come before a noun to show they are related
• to join prefixes and suffixes to a root word
• in written out numbers and fractions
• to clear up any confusion between similar words

Each of these cases is explained in more detail with examples below.

Don't let that hyphen trick you.

Comb

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