Hyphen: meaning, definitions and examples

punctuation

A hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words together or to separate syllables of a single word. It is shorter than a dash and is often used in compound words, phone numbers, and certain prefixes.

connector, dash, minus

Examples of usage

• The word 'mother-in-law' is hyphenated to show that it is a compound word.

• The phone number is written with hyphens between the digits.

• The prefix 'pre-' is often followed by a hyphen when used in a word.

typography

In typography, a hyphen is a small horizontal line used to indicate a break in a word at the end of a line. It helps to maintain consistent spacing and improve readability in printed text.

Examples of usage

• The typesetter added a hyphen at the end of the line to break the word correctly.

• Hyphens are important in typography to avoid awkward line breaks.

action

To hyphenate means to add a hyphen to a word to show how it is divided into syllables or to join it with another word. Hyphenating words correctly is important for clarity and proper grammar.

Examples of usage

• Make sure to hyphenate compound words when writing formal documents.

• The editor will hyphenate the last word to fit it on the line.