Table of Contents
- What is a closed form compound noun?
- Is Weekend closed compound word?
- What is the example of closed compound?
- Is living room a open compound word?
- Is breakfast a compound word?
- How do you know if a compound word is open or closed?
- How are closed formed?
- Is a sonnet a closed form?
- What makes a closed poem?
- What are 10 examples of compound nouns?
- What is compound word examples?
- What are compound words 5 examples?
Closed compound words are formed when two fully independent, unique words are combined to create a new word. For example, you would combine “grand” and “mother” to create the closed-form word “grandmother”.
What is a closed compound word?
Closed compound words look like one word. At one point, these words weren’t used together, but they’re now accepted as a “real word” in the English language. Closed compound words are usually made up of only two words.
What is an open form compound word? Open compound words are compound words written as two separate words but said together as one word with its own meaning. In other terms, a compound word is made up of two or more words that are written separately, meaning they have a space between them.
What is example of closed form?
“Airport” is an example of a closed form compound word. The two words are joined together without a hyphen or a space. Some other examples of closed form compound words include: Baseball.
A compound noun is a compound word that functions as a noun. … The meaning of the new word is different than either of its parts individually. Examples of closed form (no space or hyphen) compound nouns in sentences include: The lighthouse directs ships away from the rocks. Watch the butterfly on the flower over there.
Is Weekend closed compound word?
The word weekend is a closed compound word.
What is the example of closed compound?
Closed compound words are formed when two fully independent, unique words are combined to create a new word. For example, you would combine “grand” and “mother” to create the closed-form word “grandmother”.
Is living room a open compound word?
Open compounds – school bus, living room – are commonly used together but are written with a space in between.
Is breakfast a compound word?
No, just because breakfast is a compound word doesn’t mean it must exactly match… | Hacker News. No, just because breakfast is a compound word doesn’t mean it must exactly match the two words it is composed of.
How do you know if a compound word is open or closed?
- Open compound words: These are spelled as two separate words.
- Closed compound words: These are joined together to form one word.
- Hyphenated compounds: These are two or more words connected by a hyphen.
How are closed formed?
An equation is said to be a closed-form solution if it solves a given problem in terms of functions and mathematical operations from a given generally-accepted set. For example, an infinite sum would generally not be considered closed-form.
Is a sonnet a closed form?
As it is a sonnet, an example of a closed form of poetry, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet, the poem can be analyzed accordingly.
What makes a closed poem?
In closed form poetry, the poet follows a set pattern; and in open form poetry, the poet doesn’t follow any rules but their own. Line length, rhythm patterns and rhyme structures all contribute to poetic form.
What are 10 examples of compound nouns?
Examples of compound nouns are like washing machine, boyfriend, dining-table, public speaking, greenhouse, bus stop, fire-fly, football, full moon, bystander, blackboard, software, breakfast, lookout, swimming pool, sunrise, upturn, haircut, train-spotting, check-out, mother-in-law, underworld, truckful, bedroom, …
What is compound word examples?
Compound words are formed when two or more words are joined together to create a new word that has an entirely new meaning. … For example, “sun” and “flower” are two different words, but when fused together, they form another word, Sunflower.
What are compound words 5 examples?
| Cannot | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Together | Sunflower |
| Crosswalk | Become |
| Basketball | Moonlight |
| Football | Railroad |
The words pancake, living room, and merry-go-round have something in common.
They are all examples of compound words.
The noun compound means something made up of two or more separate components. Compound can also be an adjective meaning consisting of two or more parts or components.
A compound word is one word, or one unit of meaning, that is created by joining two or more separate words together.
What Are Compound Words?
A compound word is a word made up of usually two but sometimes more words that are joined together. The two (or more) that make the compound word are independent words; they have their own distinct meanings. When those words are joined and form a compound word, that compound word has its own new meaning.
The Three Types of Compound Words
Compound words can take three possible forms: closed, open, or hyphenated. In closed form, there is no space between the joined words. In open form, there is a space between the “joined” words that still act as one unit, and in hyphenated form—you guessed it! There is a hyphen between the joined words.
These general “rules”—which are somewhat fluid and flexible—provide guidance as to what format a compound word takes.
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Closed compound words are usually nouns: They put on makeup.
-
Open compound words are usually nouns or verbs: I have to make up (verb) that exam at my high school. (noun)
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Hyphenated compound words are usually adjectives or adverb-adjective combinations: I have to take a make-up (adjective) exam. I will be well-prepared. (adverb + adjective)
The key word in each of those examples is “usually.” Some compound words break the rules. We’ll see how soon.
1. Closed Compound Words
To review: closed compound words are usually made up of two separate words that are put together to form a new word. There is no space between the two words in a closed-form compound word; the compound appears as one single word.
Examples of Closed Compound Words
-
Cup + cake becomes cupcake
-
Basket + ball becomes basketball
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Key + board becomes keyboard
-
Extra + ordinary becomes extraordinary
-
Birth + day becomes birthday
You can see through these examples that the meaning of the compound word is not just a merger of the independent definitions of the individual words that join together to make that compound.
However, there is a relationship between the individual word meanings and the compounds. Compound words have been integrated into language as speakers have discovered those relationships. It makes perfect sense to call a cake that could fit into a cup a cupcake and to call a ball thrown through a basket (now a hoop) a basketball.
The rules for compound words, listed earlier in the post, include the word usually. That word means the rules are not hard and fast, and there are examples of compound words that break those rules.
For example, compound words that are verbs are usually open form, but here are rule-breaking closed-form compound verbs that remind us to hold those rules loosely:
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I need to proofread my essay.
-
I think the clerk shortchanged me.
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I have to babysit my little sister.
2. Open Compound Words
In an open compound word, there is a space between the two independent words, though they are still treated as one unit with a new “compound meaning.”
Examples of Open Compound Words
-
Living room: as a unit, this compound noun refers to a room in a house.
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High school: as a unit, this compound noun refers to a school that has students in grades 9-12.
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Post office: as a unit, this compound refers to a building where mail is collected, sorted, and sent.
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Give up: as a unit, this compound verb means to stop trying.
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Ask for: as a unit, this compound verb means to request something.
3. Hyphenated Compound Words
Hyphenated compound words have hyphens between each of the independent words that serve as connectors. The hyphens are a visual cue that the words form one unit.
Some compound words are always hyphenated.
-
Merry-go-round
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Mother-in-law (and brother-, sister-, and father-in-law)
-
Self-esteem
Did you notice that all of those examples are nouns? Remember: the rules are flexible!
Examples of Hyphenated Compound Adjectives:
When compound words are used as adjectives (officially known as compound adjectives), the hyphenation rules change depending on where the compound adjective comes in the sentences.
If the compound adjective comes before the noun it modifies (describes), you should usually add a hyphen:
-
High-speed chase
-
Part-time employee
-
Full-time job
-
Fire-resistant pajamas
-
Good-looking person
-
Well-respected politician
-
Up-to-date records
Of course, there are exceptions. Remember, those “rules” are flexible. Some compound adjectives that precede the nouns they modify never take a hyphen. For example, ice cream and high school:
- High school students
- Ice cream sundae
There’s really no “why” to explain these exceptions; we’ve just adopted these forms and made them part of our language.
Examples of Open-Form Compound Adjectives
If the compound adjective comes after the noun it modifies, the hyphen is usually omitted.
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Make sure the files are up to date. “Up to date” modifies, but comes after, the noun “files.”
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The cat is two years old. “Two years old” modifies, but comes after, the noun “cat.”
Though post-noun modifiers don’t technically take hyphens, according to Merriam-Webster, usage trends indicate the hyphens are often included anyway, if the compounds “continue to function as unit modifiers.” So there’s that flexibility again.
What About Adverb Compounds?
It’s easy to find examples of closed, open, and hyphenated adverbs.
As for the closed-form examples, we probably don’t even register them as compound words much of the time.
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Sometimes
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Thereafter
-
Somewhere
Open-form adverbs occur when the adverb is the first word in the compound and ends in —ly. You should not hyphenate after an —ly adverb.
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We made the discovery early on.
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Her opinion is highly regarded.
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They entered the dimly lit room.
What to Do If You’re Not Sure Which Form Is Right
While those flexible rules can help you, there may still be times when you feel confused about which compound form to use. Don’t stress too much.
According to Merriam Webster, the rules are more like patterns. You may see differences in different publications depending on editorial choice and style. For example, I looked on Amazon for a teapot. I saw mostly teapots, but also a few tea pots. Out of curiosity I put “tea pot” into a New York Times search bar, and found articles from the 1800s that included “tea-pot” in the title!
While interesting, those stylistic changes and choices shouldn’t be too surprising. Language is fluid and ever-evolving. Compound words themselves are proof of that evolution.
Keep Clarity the Focus
The purpose of hyphens in compound words is to ensure clarity. For example,
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I bought over-the-counter medication.
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He passed the medicine over the counter.
In the first example, I know by the hyphen that the medicine «I» bought did not require a prescription. «Over-the-counter» is one unit—one compound—describing a type of medicine.
In the second example, «over the counter» is serving another purpose and, while the words form a phrase to tell me where «he» passed the medicine, hyphens do nothing to make the purpose of the phrase clear and are therefore unnecessary.
Now look at these examples:
- He owned a little-used car.
- He owned a little used car.
In the first example, I know the man owns a car that has not been driven much. The car is described by the compound modifier «little-used.»
In the second example, it seems that the man owns a used car that is also small, or little. In this example, putting a comma after «little» would help to separate the two words, «little» and «used,» and show that they aren’t intended to work as a compound.
ProWritingAid Can Help
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Compound words consist of two words which can be used independently, but when joined together as one word or with a hyphen, form a new word. The funny thing with this is it can be quite hard to spot compound words. Think about the word “airport.” It consists of two base words: “air” and “port,” but we are so used to using the word as one word, most of us don’t really notice it’s a compound word.
Closed Form Compound Words
“Airport” is an example of a closed form compound word. The two words are joined together without a hyphen or a space. Some other examples of closed form compound words include:
- Baseball
- Windfall
- Extraordinary
- Metaphysical
- Worldwide
- Northwest
- Stockbroker
- Sailboat
- Railway
- Wildcat
- Birthday
Open From Compound Words
These words look a lot like two independent words, but they aren’t because they describe a single thing. Here are a few examples of open form compound words you are likely familiar with:
- Flight attendant
- Super tanker
- African American
- Light year
- Post office
- Real estate
- Truck driver
- Middle class
- Attorney general
- High school
- Vice president
Think about it. If you took either the first or the second word out of the two-word combo, it would no longer mean the same thing. Is “little sister” a compound word? No, it isn’t. Take the word “little” away, and you still have a sister. You both have the same parents.
Now take “flight” away from “flight attendant”. Does it still mean the same thing? No, it doesn’t. A flight attendant has a very specific job. An attendant can be any person who attends to your needs. It isn’t even necessarily a job. As for the vice president, he or she may be happy to be promoted to president, but that hasn’t happened.
Hyphenated Compound Words
Here’s where it all gets rather tricky. Some hyphenated compounds are always hyphenated (jack-in-the-box) but others may be hyphenated on certain occasions and are not hyphenated at other times. Sometimes, you may hyphenate for clarity. For example:
“Old furniture salesman”
“Old-furniture salesman”
In the first example, it isn’t clear whether the salesman or the furniture are old. For all we know, the phrase may be describing an elderly salesman. Example two is clearer. We can see that the furniture is old, and we don’t have to worry about offending the salesman by accidentally creating the wrong impression.
To a certain extent, it’s a matter of frequency of usage. For example, we are so accustomed to used car salesmen, that we wouldn’t even wonder whether the word “used” refers to the car or the guy. Now check this out:
Example 1
“She was a part-time teacher.”
“The teacher worked part time.”
Example 2
“It was a very high-speed chase.”
“The chase was very high speed.”
“High-speed” and “Part-time” are known as modifiers. They modify nouns. When a modifier appears before a noun, you would hyphenate it. When it appears after the noun, you don’t bother with hyphenating.
Other modifiers that are sometimes hyphenated, and sometimes not:
- Five-yard-long
- Fire-resistant
- Short-term
- Good-looking
- Blue-grey
- Second-rate
The decision of whether to hyphenate or not is based on the location of the noun these compound words modify.
When Never to Use a Hyphen (plus exceptions)
A word ending in “ly” will rarely form part of a hyphenated compound. Think about word combinations like:
- Newly minted
- Hotly contested
But when you are using a whole phrase as an adjective, you might use hyphens all the same: “The ever-so-slightly embarrassed salesman continued with his pitch.”
Compounds with prefixes such as “pre”, “post” or “mid” are usually used in the closed form:
- Postpartum
- Preeminent
- Midseason
But there are masses of exceptions to this rule, so it’s best to check using a dictionary. If you aren’t able to check a dictionary, you can work around the issue. For instance, if you’re not sure whether “mid-June” should be hyphenated, you could also say “the middle of June”. As a bonus, this helps with word count.
Compounds That Always Have Hyphens
You can be sure of these ones. They aren’t nearly as hard to pin down:
- Numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine
- Fractions expressed completely in numbers: “Two-thirds” or “one-third,” but “a third” is a third and doesn’t need a hyphen.
- Self, Ex and All when used as prefixes will require a hyphen: “ex-president,” “self-expression,” “all-knowing.”
- Style, elect, free and based will usually be preceded by a hyphen when used as suffixes: “French-style,” “president-elect,” “Chicago-based.”
Compounds can be complicated. Almost all the work you read on compounds will tell you that open versus hyphenated forms are complicated. Most of them suggest a dictionary check when you’re unsure, and I don’t think there’s any shame in that. I find it pretty confusing too. Nevertheless, I hope this blog post will put you on the road to knowing when to use the hyphen and when you not to do so.
Every word has its own meaning. You can search for the definition of every term in the dictionary. But do you know that you can put two words together and have a brand new meaning? Of course, not all words can be put together for such a case. However, many ones are already accepted in the English language. These words are called compound words.
What Are Compound Words?
Compound words are formed when two or more words are combined to produce a new one. This newly-constructed word has its own meaning that can either be related to the base words or not.
Types of Compound Words
Open Compound Words
Open compound words remain separate when written but are used together to create a new idea. For example, “peanut” and “butter” are unrelated to each other. But when you combine them and use them as one word, you will have “peanut butter,” which is already a different noun with its own meaning.
Closed Compound Words
Closed compound words are formed by combining two fully independent words together without space in between. An example of a closed-form compound word is “grandfather,” in which “grand” and “father” are put together.
Hyphenated Compound Words
Another possible form of a compound word is the hyphenated one. From the word itself, the independent terms used are separated by a hyphen or dash. A common example is “mother-in-law.”
Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are simply compound words that act as nouns. Nouns are names of people, animals, places, things, or events. However, it does not mean that the two words comprising it should only be nouns. A compound noun can be formed by combining two nouns, an adjective and a noun, a verb and a noun, and many more.
Compound Verbs
A compound verb is also called a complex predicate. It is a multi-word compound that acts as a single verb. It can be constructed by putting together a verb and a preposition or a verb and an adverb (phrasal verbs). Auxiliary verbs that are followed by the main verb can also be considered compounds. Some other combinations that involve a verb and a non-verb word can also be considered compound verbs if they indicate action.
Compound Adjectives
Two or more words that function as one and describe a noun are called compound adjectives. Usually, they are separated by a hyphen.
List of Compound Words
Open Compound Words
- Ice cream
- Ice cream cake
- Ice cube
- Cream cheese
- Hot dog
- Corn dog
- Corned beef
- Apple pie
- Sugar plum
- Web page
- Table cloth
- Fire drill
- Fire drill
- Fire exit
- High school
- Roller coaster
- Living room
- First aid
- Full moon
- Tea cup
- Serving spoon
- Real estate
- Car pool
- Cotton bud
- Cotton ball
- Video game
- Coffee grain
- Coffee mug
- Post office
- Upper deck
- Hand towel
- Sweet tooth
- Common sense
- Dance hall
- Police officer
- Vice president
- Science fiction
- Root word
- Candy cane
- Christmas tree
- Cell membrane
- Jumping jack
- Report card
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Radio wave
- Snack house
- Coffee shop
- Bus stop
- Swimming pool
- Rubber band
- Ice hockey
- Ice skate
- Break up
- Take away
- Take out
- Break away
- Lift up
- Push down
- Pull down
- Ask out
- Ask around
- Make up
- Turn in
- Fill up
- Fill out
- Fill in
Closed Compound Words
- Basketball
- Football
- Baseball
- Worldwide
- Overpass
- Southeast
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Bushfire
- Mailbox
- Snowball
- Skateboard
- Sailboat
- Birthday
- Blackboard
- Everything
- Anything
- Anyone
- Everyone
- Classmate
- Schoolmate
- Playmate
- Grandmother
- Grandfather
- Granddaughter
- Grandson
- Grasshopper
- Sunflower
- Sunrise
- Sunshine
- Moonlight
- Freelance
- Eyeball
- Eyebrow
- Eyelash
- Armpit
- Playground
- Teamwork
- Stoplight
- Flashlight
- Lighthouse
- Fireman
- Rainbow
- Raindrop
- Bedroom
- Popcorn
- Keyboard
- Notepad
- Keyhole
- Keystone
- Pothole
- Bowtie
- Necktie
- Brainwash
- Proofread
- Babysit
- Horseshoe
- Highlight
- Notebook
- Bookstore
- Lipstick
- Makeup
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Airbrush
- Crosswalk
- Crossroad
- Crossover
- Nightfall
- Riverbank
- Nutcracker
- Candlelight
- Backstroke
- Hamburger
- Cheeseburger
- Sandwich
- Homesick
- Uptown
- Rattlesnake
- Workplace
- Wrongdoing
- Springtime
- Underdog
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Watermelon
- Pineapple
- Cupcake
Hyphenated Compound Words
- Mother-in-law
- Father-in-law
- Sister-in-law
- Brother-in-law
- Sergeant-at-arms
- Merry-go-round
- Happy-go-lucky
- Editor-in-chief
- Over-the-counter
- Up-to-date
- State-of-the-art
- Long-term
- High-speed
- Left-handed
- Right-handed
- In-depth
- Full-length
- Part-time
- Long-haired
- Sun-dried
- Breath-taking
- Self-centered
- Well-off
- Well-known
- Gift-wrap
- Follow-up
- Well-being
- Single-minded
- Knee-length
- Short-tempered
- Off-site
- Runner-up
- One-sided
- Tip-off
- Blush-on
- Sugar-free
- Ice-cold
- Far-flung
- High-rise
- Life-size
- King-size
- Warm-blooded
- Cold-blooded
- Get-together
- Next-door
A Huge List of Compound Words
Following is a list of 1000 close compound words in English
- Aboveboard
- Afterbirth
- Afterburner
- Afterglow
- Afterimage
- Afterlife
- Aftermath
- Afternoon
- Airbrush
- Aircraft
- Airfield
- Airlift
- Airline
- Airliner
- Airmail
- Airman
- Airmen
- Airplane
- Airport
- Airship
- Airtime
- Allover
- Allspice
- Alongside
- Also
- Another
- Anybody
- Anyhow
- Anymore
- Anyone
- Anyplace
- Anything
- Anytime
- Anyway
- Anywhere
- Armchair
- Armpit
- Around
- Arrowhead
- Ashtray
- Authorship
- Babysit
- Babysitter
- Backache
- Backbite
- Backbone
- Backbreaker
- Backdrop
- Backfield
- Backfire
- Background
- Backhand
- Backlash
- Backlog
- Backpack
- Backside
- Backslap
- Backslide
- Backspace
- Backspin
- Backstage
- Backstop
- Backstretch
- Backstroke
- Backtrack
- Backward
- Ballpark
- Ballroom
- Bankbook
- Bankroll
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beachcomb
- Became
- Because
- Become
- Bedbug
- Bedclothes
- Bedrock
- Bedroll
- Bedroom
- Bellbottom
- Bellboy
- Bellhop
- Below
- Birthday
- Blackball
- Blackberries
- Blackbird
- Blackboard
- Blackjack
- Blacklist
- Blackmail
- Blackout
- Blacksmith
- Blacktop
- Bluebell
- Blueberry
- Bluebird
- Bluefish
- Bluegrass
- Blueprint
- Boardwalk
- Bodyguard
- Bodywork
- Boldface
- Bookbinder
- Bookcase
- Bookend
- Bookkeeper
- Booklet
- Bookmark
- Bookmobile
- Bookseller
- Bookshelf
- Bookstore
- Bookworm
- Bootstrap
- Bowtie
- Brainchild
- Brainstorm
- Brainwash
- Bugspray
- Bushfire
- Buttercup
- Butterfat
- Butterfingers
- Butterflies
- Buttermilk
- Butternut
- Butterscotch
- Bypass
- Cabdriver
- Cancan
- Candid
- Candlelight
- Candlestick
- Cannot
- Cardboard
- Cardsharp
- Cardstock
- Carefree
- Caretaker
- Careworn
- Carfare
- Cargo
- Carhop
- Carload
- Carpetbagger
- Carpool
- Carport
- Carrack
- Carryall
- Carsick
- Cartwheel
- Carwash
- Cattail
- Catwalk
- Caveman
- Centercut
- Cheeseburger
- Cheesecake
- Classmate
- Clockwise
- Coffeemaker
- Comeback
- Comedown
- Commonplace
- Commonwealth
- Cornball
- Cornmeal
- Cornstalk
- Cornwall
- Cottonmouth
- Cottontail
- Cottonwood
- Countdown
- Counterattack
- Counterbalance
- Counterclockwise
- Counterintelligence
- Countermeasure
- Counteroffensive
- Counterpane
- Counterpart
- Counterpoint
- Counterpoise
- Courthouse
- Courtroom
- Courtyard
- Crewcut
- Crossbow
- Crossbreed
- Crosscut
- Crossover
- Crossroad
- Crosstown
- Crosswalk
- Crossword
- Cupcake
- Dairymaid
- Daisywheel
- Daybed
- Daybook
- Daybreak
- Daydream
- Daylight
- Daytime
- Deadend
- Deadline
- Dishcloth
- Dishpan
- Dishwasher
- Dishwater
- Diskdrive
- Dogwood
- Doorstop
- Downbeat
- Downunder
- Drawbridge
- Driveway
- Duckbill
- Duckpin
- Earache
- Eardrop
- Eardrum
- Earring
- Earthbound
- Earthquake
- Earthward
- Earthworm
- Egghead
- Eggshell
- Elsewhere
- Everyone
- Everything
- Eyeball
- Eyeballs
- Eyebrow
- Eyecatching
- Eye-catching
- Eyeglasses
- Eyelash
- Eyelid
- Eyesight
- Eyewitness
- Fatherland
- Fatherless
- Firearm
- Fireball
- Fireboat
- Firebomb
- Firebox
- Firebreak
- Firecracker
- Firefighter
- Fireflies
- Firehouse
- Fireman
- Fireproof
- Firewater
- Fireworks
- Fishbowl
- Fisherman
- Fisheye
- Fishhook
- Fishlike
- Fishmonger
- Fishnet
- Fishpond
- Fishtail
- Flashlight
- Football
- Foothill
- Foothold
- Footlights
- Footlocker
- Footnote
- Footpath
- Footprints
- Footrest
- Forbearer
- Forbid
- Forearm
- Forebear
- Forecast
- Forecastle
- Foreclose
- Foreclosure
- Foredoom
- Forefather
- Forefinger
- Forefront
- Forehand
- Forehead
- Foreleg
- Foreman
- Foremost
- Forepaws
- Forerunner
- Foresee
- Foresight
- Forestall
- Forestland
- Forever
- Forget
- Forgive
- Forklift
- Format
- Fortnight
- Freelance
- Friendship
- Fruitcup
- Gearshift
- Glassmaking
- Goodbye
- Goodnight
- Grandaunt
- Grandchild
- Grandchildren
- Granddaughter
- Grandfather
- Grandmaster
- Grandmother
- Grandnephew
- Grandnieces
- Grandparent
- Grandson
- Grandstand
- Granduncle
- Grasshopper
- Graveyard
- Gumball
- Haircut
- Hamburger
- Hammerhead
- Hamstring
- Handball
- Handbook
- Handcuff
- Handgun
- Handmade
- Handout
- Headache
- Headdress
- Headhunter
- Headlight
- Headline
- Headquarters
- Hedgehop
- Heirloom
- Hellcat
- Hellhole
- Helpmate
- Helpmeet
- Hemstitch
- Henceforth
- Henchman
- Henpeck
- Hereabout
- Hereafter
- Hereby
- Herein
- Hereof
- Hereupon
- Herself
- Highball
- Highchair
- Highland
- Highlight
- Highway
- Himself
- Homemade
- Homesick
- Hometown
- Honeybee
- Honeycomb
- Honeydew
- Honeymoon
- Honeysuckle
- Hookup
- Hookworm
- Horseback
- Horsefly
- Horsehair
- Horseplay
- Horsepower
- Horseradish
- Horseshoe
- Houseboat
- Housecoat
- Household
- Housekeeper
- Housetop
- Housewife
- Housework
- However
- Ideal
- Inchworm
- Income
- Indoors
- Inflow
- Infold
- Infuse
- Infusion
- Inhale
- Inkblot
- Inkwell
- Inland
- Inmate
- Inpatient
- Inroad
- Inset
- Inside
- Intake
- Ironwork
- Itself
- Jackpot
- Jackson
- Jailbait
- Jailbird
- Jawbone
- Jawbreaker
- Jaywalk
- Jellybean
- Jellyfish
- Jerkwater
- Jerrybuild
- Jetliner
- Jetport
- Jigsaw
- Jimsonweed
- Jitterbug
- Jobholder
- Johnnycake
- Jumpshot
- Keepsake
- Keyboard
- Keyhole
- Keynote
- Keypad
- Keypunch
- Keystone
- Keystroke
- Keyway
- Keyword
- Landmark
- Landslide
- Landward
- Lapland
- Lapwing
- Larkspur
- Laughingstock
- Lawgiver
- Lawmaker
- Lawsuit
- Layman
- Layoff
- Layout
- Layover
- Leapfrog
- Lifeblood
- Lifeboat
- Lifeguard
- Lifelike
- Lifeline
- Lifelong
- Lifesaver
- Lifetime
- Lifework
- Lighthouse
- Limelight
- Limestone
- Lipstick
- Longhand
- Longhorn
- Longhouse
- Lukewarm
- Mailbox
- Mainland
- Mainline
- Mainspring
- Mainstream
- Makeup
- Matchbox
- Meadowland
- Meantime
- Meanwhile
- Moonbeam
- Moonlight
- Moonlit
- Moonscape
- Moonshine
- Moonstone
- Moonstruck
- Moonwalk
- Moreover
- Mothball
- Motherhood
- Motorcycle
- Nearby
- Necktie
- Nevermore
- Newborn
- Newfound
- Newsboy
- Newsbreak
- Newscast
- Newscaster
- Newsdealer
- Newsletter
- Newsman
- Newsmen
- Newspaper
- Newsperson
- Newsprint
- Newsreel
- Newsroom
- Newsstand
- Newsworthy
- Nightfall
- Nobody
- Noisemaker
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Notebook
- Notepad
- Noteworthy
- Nowhere
- Nursemaid
- Nutcracker
- Oneself
- Onetime
- Overabundance
- Overboard
- Overcoat
- Overflow
- Overland
- Overpass
- Overshoes
- Pacemaker
- Pancake
- Parkway
- Passbook
- Passkey
- Passover
- Passport
- Password
- Pasteboard
- Patchwork
- Pathfinder
- Pathway
- Pawnbroker
- Pawnshop
- Paycheck
- Payload
- Paymaster
- Payoff
- Payroll
- Peppermint
- Pickup
- Pineapple
- Pinhole
- Pinpoint
- Pinstripe
- Pinup
- Pinwheel
- Playback
- Playboy
- Playground
- Playhouse
- Playmate
- Playthings
- Ponytail
- Popcorn
- Postcard
- Pothole
- Proofread
- Racquetball
- Railroad
- Railway
- Rainbow
- Raincheck
- Raincoat
- Raindrop
- Rainfall
- Rainmaker
- Rainstorm
- Rainwater
- Ratline
- Ratsbane
- Rattlesnake
- Rattletrap
- Rawboned
- Rawhide
- Readywitted
- Rearmost
- Rearrange
- Rearward
- Redcap
- Redcoat
- Reddish
- Redhead
- Repairman
- Riverbank
- Riverbanks
- Rubberband
- Sailboat
- Salesclerk
- Sandbox
- Sandlot
- Sandstone
- Sandwich
- Saucepan
- Scapegoat
- Scarecrow
- Schoolbook
- Schoolboy
- Schoolbus
- Schoolhouse
- Schoolmate
- Schoolroom
- Schoolwork
- Seashore
- Setback
- Setoff
- Shadyside
- Sharecropper
- Sharpshooter
- Sheepskin
- Shipbottom
- Shipbuilder
- Shipload
- Shipwreck
- Shipyard
- Shoelace
- Shoemaker
- Shopkeeper
- Shortbread
- Shortcake
- Shotgun
- Showboat
- Showoff
- Showplace
- Showroom
- Sideburns
- Sidecar
- Sidekick
- Sideshow
- Sidewalk
- Silversmith
- Sisterhood
- Sixfold
- Skateboard
- Skintight
- Skylark
- Skylight
- Skyscraper
- Slapstick
- Slowdown
- Slumlord
- Snakeskin
- Snowball
- Snowbank
- Snowbird
- Snowdrift
- Snowshoe
- Snowshovel
- Snowstorm
- Soapstone
- Softball
- Software
- Somebody
- Someday
- Somehow
- Someone
- Someplace
- Something
- Sometime
- Sometimes
- Someway
- Somewhat
- Somewhere
- Soundproof
- Southeast
- Southwest
- Soybean
- Spacesuit
- Spacewalk
- Spearmint
- Speedboat
- Spillway
- Spokesperson
- Springtime
- Stagehand
- Standby
- Standoff
- Standout
- Standpipe
- Standpoint
- Standstill
- Starfish
- Steamboat
- Steamship
- Stepson
- Stickup
- Stockroom
- Stonewall
- Stoplight
- Stopwatch
- Storerooms
- Strawberry
- Streetcar
- Stronghold
- Subway
- Sunbaked
- Sunbathe
- Sunday
- Sundial
- Sundown
- Sunfish
- Sunflower
- Sunglasses
- Sunlit
- Sunray
- Sunrise
- Sunroof
- Sunshine
- Suntan
- Sunup
- Supercargo
- Supercharge
- Supercool
- Superego
- Superfine
- Supergiant
- Superhero
- Superhighways
- Superhuman
- Superimpose
- Superman
- Supermarket
- Supermen
- Supernatural
- Superpower
- Superscript
- Supersensitive
- Supersonic
- Superstar
- Superstrong
- Superstructure
- Supertanker
- Superweapon
- Superwoman
- Sweetheart
- Sweetmeat
- Tablecloth
- Tablespoon
- Tabletop
- Tableware
- Tadpole
- Tagalong
- Tailbone
- Tailcoat
- Tailgate
- Taillight
- Taillike
- Tailpiece
- Tailspin
- Takeoff
- Takeout
- Takeover
- Talebearer
- Taleteller
- Tapeworm
- Taproom
- Taproot
- Target
- Taskmaster
- Tattletale
- Taxicab
- Taxpayer
- Teacup
- Teammate
- Teamwork
- Teapot
- Teardrop
- Teaspoon
- Teenager
- Telltale
- Tenderfoot
- Tenderhearted
- Tenderloin
- Tenfold
- Textbook
- Themselves
- Therefore
- Throwaway
- Throwback
- Thunderbird
- Thunderbolt
- Thundershower
- Thunderstorm
- Timekeeper
- Timepieces
- Timesaving
- Timeshare
- Timetable
- Today
- Together
- Toolbox
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Toothpick
- Touchdown
- Township
- Turnabout
- Turnaround
- Turnbuckle
- Turncoat
- Turndown
- Turnkey
- Turnoff
- Turnover
- Turntable
- Typewriter
- Underachieve
- Underact
- Underage
- Underarm
- Underbelly
- Underbid
- Undercharge
- Underclothes
- Undercover
- Undercurrent
- Undercut
- Underdevelop
- Underdog
- Underesimate
- Underestimate
- Underexpose
- Underfeed
- Underfinance
- Underfoot
- Underfur
- Undergarment
- Undergird
- Undergo
- Undergraduate
- Underground
- Undergrowth
- Underhand
- Underhanded
- Underlayer
- Underlie
- Upbeat
- Upbringing
- Upcoming
- Update
- Updraft
- Upend
- Upgrade
- Upheaval
- Upheld
- Uphill
- Uphold
- Upkeep
- Upland
- Uplift
- Uplink
- Upload
- Upmarket
- Upon
- Uppercase
- Upperclassman
- Uppercut
- Uppermost
- Upright
- Uprising
- Upriver
- Uproar
- Uproot
- Upset
- Upshot
- Upside
- Upstage
- Upstairs
- Upstanding
- Upstart
- Upstate
- Upstream
- Upsurge
- Upswing
- Uptake
- Upthrust
- Uptight
- Uptime
- Uptown
- Upturn
- Upward
- Upwind
- Waistband
- Waistcoat
- Waistline
- Walkout
- Walkways
- Wallboard
- Walleyed
- Wallflower
- Wallpaper
- Wanderlust
- Wardroom
- Warehouse
- Warfare
- Warhead
- Warlike
- Warlord
- Warmblooded
- Warmhearted
- Warmonger
- Warpath
- Warplanes
- Warship
- Wartime
- Washboard
- Washbowl
- Washcloth
- Washout
- Washroom
- Washstand
- Washtub
- Wastebasket
- Wasteland
- Wastepaper
- Wastewater
- Watchband
- Watchcase
- Watchdog
- Watchmaker
- Watchman
- Watchtower
- Watchword
- Watercolor
- Watercooler
- Watercraft
- Waterfall
- Waterfowl
- Waterfront
- Waterline
- Waterlog
- Watermark
- Watermelon
- Waterpower
- Waterproof
- Waterscape
- Watershead
- Waterside
- Waterspout
- Watertight
- Waterway
- Waterwheel
- Waterworks
- Wavelength
- Wavelike
- Waxwork
- Waybill
- Wayfarer
- Waylaid
- Wayside
- Wayward
- Weathercock
- Weatherman
- Weatherproof
- Weekday
- Weekend
- Weeknight
- Whatever
- Whatsoever
- Wheelbarrow
- Wheelbase
- Wheelchair
- Wheelhouse
- Whitecap
- Whitefish
- Whitewall
- Whitewash
- Widespread
- Wipeout
- Without
- Woodshop
- Workplace
- Worldwide
- Wrongdoing
Compound Words | Images
What is a Compound Word?
Before you went to bed last night, did you brush your teeth?
If so, what did you use to brush your teeth?
Most likely you used a toothbrush.
The word toothbrush is made up of two words: TOOTH and BRUSH. It’s a compound word.
Compound words are all around you. Maybe you take a bath in a bathtub, put your dishes in a dishwasher, or carry your books in a backpack. All of these are compound words too.
A compound word is a word made when you join two or more words to form a new word.
For example:
The words BIRTH and DAY are joined to make the word BIRTHDAY.
The words HEAD and ACHE are joined to make the word HEADACHE.
There are three forms of compound words:
- Closed form
- Hyphenated form
- Open form
Closed form compound words include words such as toothbrush, backpack, and birthday, where the two words are stuck together to make a new word.
Hyphenated form compound words includes words such as part-time, merry-go-round, and mother-in-law, where the words are joined together with a hyphen.
Open form compound words include words such as hot dog, ice cream, and North America, where an adjective is combined with a noun to create a word with new meaning, but the individual words still have a space between them.
Forming Compound Words
When you form a compound word, you’re combining two words to make a new word. This means that each part of the compound word has to be an actual word.
Take a look at the word SANDWICH which is made up of SAND + WICH. Sand is a word, but wich is not, so sandwich is not a compound word.
When the two words in a compound word are combined, they also get a new meaning.
So you wouldn’t combine the words TURKEY and SANDWICH to create the word TURKEYSANDWICH because it would have the same meaning when combine.
You could, however, combine the words HOT and DOG to create the word HOTDOG, which becomes a type of food, not an actual dog that is hot.
You could combine the words South and America to make South America, which is a specific continent, not just the southern part of America.
You could also combine the words MOTHER, IN, and LAW to create the word MOTHER-IN-LAW, which is the name of your spouse’s mother, not just a mother connected with the law.
How can you tell which form a compound word should use?
It can be kind of tricky and there’s no way to always tell for sure, but here are a few guidelines to follow:
- If the word combines an adjective and a noun or is used as an adjective before a noun, it will have a hyphen.
For example:
He added one-half cup of flour or the bright-eyed baby smiled.
- If two words combine to create a completely new word with a completely new meaning, they are stuck together using the closed form.
For example:
I want to catch fireflies or we should go to the zoo sometime.
- If it is understood without being combined, it can probably work as a compound word in the open form.
For example:
We like to eat chocolate chip cookies or they go to high school.
When in doubt, look in the dictionary to see how the word is correctly written. If it’s not included in the dictionary as a closed form or hyphenated form compound word, then you should write it using open form.
Using Compound Words
Now let’s practice using compound words.
Read each of the descriptions and see if you can guess which compound word should be used.
- If you want to build a house for your dog, what will you build?
- Where will you go if you want to fly on an airplane?
- If you need to turn around on the road, what will you do?
- Where will you go if you want to play tennis?
Want to know the answers?
- You will build your dog a doghouse.
- You will go to the airport to fly on an airplane.
- You will make a U-turn if you need to turn around on the road.
- You will go to a tennis court if you want to play tennis.
Now let’s look at compound words used in sentences. See if you can correctly pick out the compound words in each sentence.
- The basketball bounced on the basketball court.
- I high-fived my teammates after winning the game.
- Sometimes I like to sit on the couch and play video games.
- My teacher asked me to find the square root of the area of the two-dimensional shape.
How do you think you did?
- The BASKETBALL bounced on the BASKETBALL COURT.
- I HIGH-FIVED my TEAMMATES after winning the game.
- SOMETIMES I like to sit on the couch and play VIDEO GAMES.
- My teacher asked me to find the SQUARE ROOT of the area of the TWO-DIMENSIONAL shape.
Common Compound Words
The best way to recognize compound words when you see them and know how to write them is to learn as many compound words as possible. Here’s a list of common compound words.
Open Form Compound Words
Living room, baseball field, real estate, walking stick, safety glasses, North America, United States, African American, theme park, vacuum cleaner, root beer, rocking horse, role play, rock band, school year, web site, elementary school, junk food, Fourth of July, jungle gym, past tense, post office, police officer, cell phone, dump truck, light bulb, life jacket
Hyphenated Compound Words
Sister-in-law, on-time, custom-built, well-known, up-to-date, build-up, eight-year-old, Y-shaped, x-ray, sit-in, tie-in, twenty-one, two-sided, three-sided, one-third, light-year, know-it-all, make-believe, boogie-woogie, pitter-patter, walkie-talkie, jack-in-the-box, bull’s-eye, high-level, well-made
Closed Form Compound Words
Backyard, football, softball, daydream, handshake, toothpaste, worldwide, necklace, playground, campground, firefly, horseback, waterfall, teaspoon, tablespoon, seafood, sidewalk, skyscraper, racetrack, earthquake, firecracker, shipwreck, tombstone, sunrise, windmill, shoelace, keyboard, password, flashlight, bathroom, suntan, pineapple, ponytail, peanut, notebook, outside, homework
Are compound words: open, closed, or hyphenated? The answer isn’t always straightforward. In this post, we’ll take a look at the different types of compound words and how they’re treated in regard to spelling. We’ll also provide some examples to help you understand the rules better. So, let’s get started!
What is a Compound Word?
A compound word is two words that have been joined together to create a new word. The new word has a new meaning that is different from the two original words. For example, the word “sun” means the star at the center of our solar system. The word “shine” means to emit light. But when you put them together, sun + shine = sunshine, which means the light that comes from the sun.
Compound words can be made up of any two words, but they are most often made up of a noun and a verb or an adjective and a noun. For example, other compound words are linebacker, coffee table, or haircut. Some compound words are written as one word (sunshine), while others are written as two words (coffee table).
There is no right or wrong way to write a compound word, although some style guides prefer one form over another. In general, if you can say the two words without pausing in between, it’s probably okay to write the compound word as one word. If you need to pause or put a hyphen between the two words when saying it out loud, it’s probably better to write the compound word as two words.
Types of Compound Words
There’s something undeniably satisfying about creating a new word by combining two existing ones. In the business world, we see this all the time in the form of compound words like “webinar” and “podcast.” But these aren’t the only types of compound words out there. In fact, there are four main types of compound words:
- Closed compounds are made up of two words that are joined together to form a new word, with no space in between, like “firefly” or “snailmail.”
- Hyphenated compounds are similar to closed compounds, except that they’re joined together with a hyphen, like “daughter-in-law” or “co-worker.”
- Open compounds are made up of two words that remain separate, like “awesome sauce” or “face palm.”
- Phrasal verbs are verb phrases that are often used in informal speech, like “blow up” or “fill out.
While all four types of compound words can be useful in communication, closed and hyphenated compounds are generally considered to be more formal than open and phrasal compounds. So when you’re choosing a compound word for your next project, keep your audience in mind and choose accordingly!
Open Compound Words
In English, a compound word is a word made up of two or more smaller words.
- For example, the word “sun” is a compound of the words “sun” and “shine.”
In contrast, an open compound word is a compound word that is not hyphenated. Open compounds are very common in English; in fact, many of the most common words in the language are open compounds, such as “newspaper,” “playground,” and “firefighter.”
While closed compounds tend to be more formal, open compounds are generally more informal. However, there are no hard-and-fast rules about which type of compound to use; it ultimately comes down to personal preference.
Closed Compound Words
A closed compound word is a word that is made up of two or more words that are joined together. The most common type of closed compound word is a noun + verb combination, such as “basketball” or “hockey.” Closed compound words can also be adjective + noun combinations, such as “blackbird” or “dateline.”
Finally, closed compound words can also be verb + adverb combinations, such as “rewrite” or “overdo.” In each case, the meaning of the closed compound word is usually different from the meaning of the individual words that make it up.
- For example, the word “basketball” refers to a sport, while the word “ball” by itself refers to a round object.
Likewise, the word “hockey” refers to a sport, while the word “stick” by itself refers to a long, thin object. Closed compound words are an important part of the English language and can help to make writing more concise and readable.
Hyphenated Compound Words
Sometimes, two words just go together. But what happens when you want to use them as a single unit? That’s when you need a hyphen. Hyphens are little lines that join words together, and they can be very useful when you’re trying to combine multiple words into a single concept.
For example, if you’re talking about a “well-meaning friend,” the hyphen helps to show that you’re talking about a single unit, rather than two separate concepts. And in the case of a “mother-in-law,” the hyphen helps to avoid any potential confusion about whether you’re talking about multiple mothers or just one woman who happens to be married to your father. So next time you’re struggling to fit multiple words together, remember that a hyphen can help to create a single unit out of two or more separate concepts.
When to Use a Comma with Compound Words
A compound word is two or more words that are joined together to form a new word. For example, the word “firefly” is a compound of “fire” and “fly.” Most compound words are written as one word, but there are some exceptions. For example, you would write “half-hearted,” but you would say “a well-known actress.”
When it comes to writing compound words, the general rule is that if you can say the word without pausing, then you should write it as one word. However, if you need to insert a pause when saying the word, then you should use a comma. For example, you would write “a cup of coffee,” but you would say “a cup, of coffee.”
The main exception to this rule is when the first word ends in “-ly.” In this case, you would usually write the compound as two words, even if you can say it without pausing. For example, “slightly different” and “highly unlikely.” However, there are some exceptions to this exception!
In general, if you’re not sure whether to use a comma or not, it’s best to err on the side of caution and use one.
Examples of Compound Words in Sentences
A compound word is a word made up of two or more smaller words. For example, the word “bedtime” is a compound word made up of the words “bed” and “time.” Compound words can be written in several different ways, including as one word (e.g., bedtime), as two words (e.g., bed time), or with a hyphen (e.g., bed-time).
In addition to being more efficient, using compound words can also help to add variety and interest to your writing. Here are some sentences that include compound words:
- I take my coffee with milk and sugar.
- The snowplow cleared a path through the snowdrift.
- Dogs are not allowed on the beach during the summer.
- Please pass the salt-and-pepper shakers.
- After school, I have soccer practice and then karate class.
As you can see, compound words can be very useful in making your writing more concise and interesting. So next time you’re looking for a way to add variety to your sentence, try using a compound word!
Why We Use Compound Words
Over the years, the English language has evolved in many ways. One of the most noticeable changes is the use of compound words. A compound word is simply two or more words that are joined together to create a new word with a new meaning. For example, the word “sunscreen” is a combination of the words “sun” and “screen.”
Compound words can be very useful in both written and spoken communication. They can help to make writing more concise and easier to read, and they can also help to reduce ambiguity when speaking. In addition, compound words can add emphasis or humor to a sentence. For all these reasons, it’s no wonder that compound words have become such a staple of the English language.
The History of Compound Words
In the English language, a compound word is a word made up of two or more smaller words. For example, the word “firefly” is a compound of “fire” and “fly.” Compound words are not just a recent invention – they have been around for centuries. The Old English epic poem Beowulf, for example, contains many compounds, such as “whale-path” and “sea-farer.” In fact, the majority of Beowulf consists of compounds.
Today, compounds are more common in everyday speech than in literature. We often use them to save time or to be more concise. For instance, instead of saying “Mr. Jones lives on the side of the hill,” we can say “Mr. Jones is a hillside resident.” In some cases, compounds can even help to create new meanings. The word “glasses,” for example, is a compound of “glass” and “ass.”
By putting these two words together, we create a new word with a different meaning than either of the original words. Compound words are an essential part of the English language, and they show no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Thanks for reading!
How Compound Words are Formed
There’s a certain power in combining two words to create a new one. The new word takes on a meaning that is different from the sum of its parts. And it can be much more memorable than either word on its own.
That’s how compound words are formed. By combining two existing words, we create a new word with its own unique meaning. Compound words can be formed in many different ways. The most common way is to simply put two words together, like “firefly” or “sunflower.” But we can also combine two words to create a new word by altering one of the original words, like “brunch” (combining “breakfast” and “lunch”), or by using a word as a prefix or suffix, like “television” (adding the suffix “-vision” to the root word “tele-“).
Compound words are an important part of the English language. They can help us communicate complex ideas with just a few syllables. And they can add some flair and personality to our writing. So if you’re looking for a way to make your writing more interesting and MEMORABLE, start experimenting with compound words!
Derivational Compounding
Derivational compounding is the process of combining two or more words to create a new word. This type of compounding can create a variety of different words, depending on the meaning of the individual words that are combined. For example, the word “bedroom” is a derivational compound, made up of two words: “bed” and “room”. The word “blackboard” is another derivational compound, made up of the words “black” and “board”.
There are many different types of derivational compounds, but some of the most common are:
- Noun-noun compounds: These compounds are made up of two nouns, for example, “eyeglasses”, “keyboard”, and “butterfly”.
- Verb-verb compounds: These compounds are made up of two verbs, for example, “toothbrush”, “handshake”, and “footwear”.
- Adjective-adjective compounds: These compounds are made up of two adjectives, for example, “redhead”, “blueprint”, and “darkhorse”.
- Adverb-adverb compounds: These compounds are made up of two adverbs, for example, “highway”, “outside”, and “upstairs”.
Whatever the reason, compound words are an important part of language, and they show no signs of disappearing any time soon.
Lexical Compounding
Lexical compound words are two or more words that are joined together to create a new word. The new word is typically a combination of the meanings of the individual words, and it often has a different meaning than the original words. For example, the compound word “headache” is made up of the words “head” and “ache,” and it refers to a pain in the head.
Similarly, the compound word “rainbow” is made up of the words “rain” and “bow,” and it refers to a colorful arc that appears in the sky after it rains. Compound words are an important part of many languages, and they can be a great way to communicate complex ideas with fewer words.
Epenthetic Vowels in Compounding
In compound words, epenthetic vowels are often inserted to break up difficult consonant cluster sequences. This can help to make the word easier to pronounce, and it can also make the word less likely to be confused with another word. For example, the compound word “blackbird” is difficult to say without an epenthetic vowel, and it is also easily confused with the word “blackbird.” However, if we insert an epenthetic vowel between the two words, we get “blac-kbird,” which is much easier to say and less likely to be confused with another word.
In addition, epenthetic vowels can also help to indicate the meaning of a compound word. For example, the compound word “blueberry” would be difficult to understand if it were pronounced “bloo-berry.” However, by adding an epenthetic vowel between the two words, we get “blue-berry,” which makes it clear that the word refers to a type of fruit.
Consonant Clusters in Compounding
One of the interesting things about compound words is that they often include consonant clusters. A consonant cluster is two or more consonants that occur together in a word. For example, the compound word “cake-eater” includes the consonant cluster /k-e/. Consonant clusters are relatively rare in English, so they tend to stand out when they do occur.
Interestingly, compound words are more likely to include consonant clusters than other types of words. This is because compound words are often created by combining two existing words, and each of those words may already contain a consonant cluster. For example, the word “cake” contains the cluster /k-e/, and the word “eater” contains the cluster /e-t/. When these two words are combined to form the compound word “cake-eater”, the result is a word that contains two consonant clusters (/k-e/ and /e-t/).
So, if you’re ever wondering why compound words often seem rather complicated, it’s because they often include multiple consonant clusters!
Portmanteaus
A portmanteau is a compound word made up of parts of two other words. The term comes from the French word for suitcase, which was derived from the two words porter (to carry) and manteau (coat). Portmanteaus are often created by combining the first syllable of one word with the second syllable of another, as in the case of breakfast + lunch = brunch. However, they can also be formed by combining the first letters of each word, as in smoke + fog = smog.
In recent years, portmanteaus have become increasingly popular as a way to create catchy new words. For example, the compound word staycation has been used to describe a vacation that is spent at home. Similarly, sexting is a combination of sex and texting that refers to the practice of sending sexually explicit messages or images via text message.
As these examples illustrate, portmanteaus can be an effective way to communicate complex ideas in a concise and memorable way.
Recombinant Words
Recombinant words are compound words that have been created by combining two existing words. The term was first coined by linguist Geoffrey K. Pullum in a 2001 paper, in which he claimed that such words were “a recent and notable phenomenon of English vocabulary growth”.
Since then, recombinant words have become increasingly common, especially in the fields of technology and business. While some of these terms are little more than jargon, others have entered the mainstream vernacular. Here are a few notable examples:
- E-book: A compound of “electronic” and “book”, this word was first popularized by science fiction author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash.
- Cyberspace: A blend of “cybernetics” and “space”, this word was first used by William Gibson in his 1984 novel Neuromancer.
- Smombie: A portmanteau of “smartphone” and “zombie”, this word has been used to describe people who are so absorbed in their mobile devices that they become oblivious to their surroundings.
Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that recombinant words are here to stay. So the next time you’re faced with a new word that seems like it was created by mashing together two other words, chances are you’re dealing with a recombinant word.
Linking and Compounding in English
Linking and compounding are two important processes in English. Linking refers to the process of connecting two words or phrases to form a compound word. For example, the words “home” and “work” can be linked to form the compound word “homework.” Compounding occurs when two words are combined to form a new word. For example, the words “dog” and “house” can be compounded to form the word “doghouse.” Both linking and compounding are important ways of creating new words in English.
Compound words can be tricky to spell. In general, you should always use a hyphen (-) to join two words when they form a compound word. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, the compound words “doorman” and “doorstep” are typically spelled without a hyphen. Additionally, many compound words are written as one word when they appear in dictionaries. For example, the word “firefly” is listed as one word in most dictionaries, even though it is made up of two words ( “fire” and “fly”).
Borrowings as Compounds
You’re probably familiar with compound words, where two or more words are joined together to create a new word. For example, the word “firefighter” is a compound of “fire” and “fighter.”
But did you know that you can also compound borrowings? That is, you can take a word from one language and combine it with a word from another language to create a new word.
One popular example is the word “staycation,” which is a combination of the words “stay” and “vacation.” This word originally referred to taking a vacation at home, but it has since been extended to mean any break from work or school that involves staying close to home.
Other examples of borrowing compounds include “brunch” (from “breakfast” and “lunch”), “smog” (from “smoke” and “fog”), and “tds” (from “tea” and “ds”). As you can see, compound borrowings are a great way to create new words that are both expressive and efficient.
Native English Compounding
Native English speakers have a tendency to compound words. This means that we take two or more existing words and smoosh them together to create a new word. For example, the word “foot” plus the word “ball” can be combined to create the compound word “football.”
Compounding is a very efficient way of creating new words, and it’s something that native English speakers do naturally. However, it’s worth noting that compound words are not always easy for non-native speakers to understand. This is because the meaning of a compound word can often be very different from the meaning of the individual words that make it up.
If you’re a non-native speaker of English, don’t worry too much about compound words. Just focus on learning the basic building blocks of the language and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a fluent speaker.
Conclusion
Compound words are a great way to add depth and precision to your writing. By understanding the different types of compound words, you can use them correctly in your own writing for greater clarity and impact. We’ve looked at the three types of compound words, how to spell them, when to use commas and more. There are also several examples of compound words used in context so that you can see how they’re used. Finally, we’ve looked at why we use compound words and their history. Compound words can be an important tool for writers looking to improve their work.
FAQs
What is a compound word?
A compound word is a word formed by combining two or more words. There are three types of compound words: open, closed, and hyphenated.
What is the difference between open and closed compound words?
Open compound words are two separate words that are joined together without a space in between. Closed compound words are two separate words that are joined together with a space in between.
What is the difference between hyphenated and open compound words?
Hyphenated compound words are two separate words that are joined together with a hyphen (-). Open compound words are two separate words that are joined together without a space in between.
When do I use a comma with compound words?
You only use a comma with compound words when they are part of a larger sentence. For example: The cat was black and white, but I only saw the black parts. In this sentence, black and white is a compound word.
What are some common compound words?
Below is a list of some common compound words:
anymore, blackboard, upbringing, byline, crosswalk, drive-thru, firsthand, heartbeat, onlooker, outcome, overwhelmed, upstream
Do you have any tips on how to remember compound words?
Here are a few tips:
- Try using mnemonic devices. For example, you could associate the word “blackboard” with the phrase “a board for writing in black ink.”
- Write out the compound words on index cards or post-it notes and carry them around with you to review throughout the day.
- Create a game out of it! See how many compound words you can come up with in a certain amount of time.
- Practice, practice, practice! The more you use and encounter compound words, the easier they will become to remember.
What is the difference between a compound word and a compound noun?
A compound word is a word formed by combining two or more words. A compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words. For example, the word “playground” is a compound noun made up of the words “play” and “ground.”
Published on
4 April 2023
by
Jack Caulfield.
A compound word (sometimes just called a compound) is a series of two or more words that collectively form a single word. There are three types of compound words, which differ in terms of how they are written:
- An open compound word is written with spaces between the words (e.g., “secondary school”).
- A hyphenated compound word is written with hyphens between the words (e.g., “sister-in-law”).
- A closed compound word is written with no spaces or punctuation (e.g., “cheesecake”).
| Individual words | Compound word | |
|---|---|---|
| Open compound | house + party | house party |
| Hyphenated compound | mind + blowing | mind-blowing |
| Closed compound | pea + nut | peanut |
For any words and phrases that we don’t cover, it’s best to consult a reliable dictionary like Merriam-Webster.
Table of contents
- Open compound words
- Hyphenated compound words
- Closed compound words
- List of compound words
- Pluralising compound nouns
- Compound words vs other types of words
- Worksheet: Compound words
- Other interesting articles
- Frequently asked questions about compound words
Open compound words
Open compound words are written with spaces between the individual words. For example, “compound word” itself is an open compound word.
Open compounds are normally fairly new terms or are used only in specialist contexts. Over time, as they become more widely used, they tend to become hyphenated or closed compounds. But this is not universal: some well-established compounds such as “secondary school” continue to be written with spaces.
Many open compound words function as nouns and are formed by combining a noun with another noun or with an adjective.
Some search engines are experimenting with incorporating artificial intelligence into their services.
Phrasal verbs are also normally written as open compounds. A phrasal verb is a series of two or more words (often a verb and a preposition) that functions collectively as a verb.
Should I go ahead and log in, or should I hold off for now?
Note that normally open compounds are instead written as hyphenated or closed compounds in certain contexts. A compound noun is often hyphenated or closed when it’s used attributively (functioning as an adjective before another noun) or as a verb, and a phrasal verb is hyphenated or closed when it’s used as a noun.
She’s gone to test-drive a new car.
Kenan gave me the go-ahead and forwarded my new login details.
Hyphenated compound words
Hyphenated compound words are written with hyphens connecting the words. For example, “well-being” is a hyphenated compound word.
Hyphenated compounds are typically noun phrases being used as adjectives (e.g. “long-term”) or as verbs (e.g., “strong-arm”) or verb phrases being used as nouns (e.g., “check-in”) or as adjectives (e.g., “mind-blowing”).
Compound nouns were quite commonly hyphenated in the past but mostly aren’t now (e.g., “walking-stick” and “living-room” are now usually written “walking stick” and “living room”). But some remain hyphenated, especially if they consist of three or more words (e.g., “father-in-law”).
You could see what over-the-counter medication is available, or there’s a walk-in clinic down the street.
A shoplifter had a run-in with an off-duty police officer who caught him red-handed.
Closed compound words
Closed compound words are written without hyphens or spaces. For example, “babysitter” is a closed compound word.
Closed compounds can play a wide variety of roles, functioning as nouns (e.g., “weekend”), pronouns (e.g., “herself”), prepositions (e.g., “into”), adverbs (e.g., “however”), adjectives (e.g., “barefoot”), conjunctions (e.g., “whereas”), or verbs (e.g., “snowball”).
Closed compounds tend to be well-established words. They often start out as open compounds but close over time as they become more familiar. For example, compound indefinite pronouns used to be written as open compounds (e.g., “every one”, “some thing”), but now all except “no one” are closed.
Andrea couldn’t function without his breakfast.
Few people want to babysit a newborn child.
List of compound words
The table below provides a representative selection of compound words, categorised by whether they are open, hyphenated, or closed and by what part of speech they function as.
You can observe some patterns in the table. For instance, there are many compound nouns; compound adjectives tend to be hyphenated; and some parts of speech only form compounds in certain ways.
Note that some words appear as more than one part of speech but may be written differently depending on their function. There may also be multiple ways of writing a single compound (e.g., “login” or “log-in”). Consult a dictionary if you’re unsure.
| Part of speech | Open compounds | Hyphenated compounds | Closed compounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noun | artificial intelligence, attorney general, common sense, French fries, house party, living room, roller coaster, search engine, secondary school, test drive, theme park, walking stick | check-in, go-ahead, kick-off, know-it-all, man-of-war, merry-go-round, run-in, runner-up, sister-in-law, well-being | backpack, boyfriend, breakfast, bypass, checkout, cheesecake, highway, login, newborn, payout, peanut, smartphone, weekend, wherewithal |
| Pronoun | each other, no one, one another | — | anyone, everything, nobody, oneself, themselves |
| Verb | check in, figure out, go ahead, hold off, kick off, log in, pass by, used to | strong-arm, test-drive | babysit, breakfast, bypass, cannot, snowball |
| Adjective | — | empty-handed, full-fledged, lightning-fast, long-term, mind-blowing, off-duty, over-the-counter, roller-coaster, run-of-the-mill, up-to-date, walk-in | commonsense, everyday, heartbreaking, nearby, newborn, shamefaced, spellbinding |
| Adverb | after all, en route, next to, with feeling | lightning-fast, mind-blowingly, red-handed | anymore, anyway, awhile, elsewhere, hereby, however, maybe, moreover, nevertheless, nowadays, spellbindingly |
| Preposition | as far as, close by, such as, next to, with regard to | — | insofar, into, throughout, upon, within |
| Conjunction | as far as, in that | — | whenever, whereas |
| Determiner | — | — | another, whatever, whichever |
Pluralising compound nouns
When you want to pluralise a noun that consists of multiple words, it can be difficult to know which word to pluralise. In a closed compound, it’s easy: the pluralisation always comes at the end, since it’s written as one word (e.g., “backpacks”, “houseboats”, “payouts”).
In open and hyphenated compounds, it varies; the final word is sometimes pluralised (e.g., “secondary schools”, “know-it-alls”), but sometimes an earlier word is instead (e.g., “attorneys general”, “men-of-war”). Usually, only one word is pluralised (e.g., “men-of-wars” is wrong).
To understand which word should be pluralised, look at the compound logically and consider which word “heads” the group – in other words, which one represents the thing being named?
- Frenches fry [Frenches that are fry?]
- French fries [Fries that are French]
- sister-in-laws [a sister (in multiple laws)?]
- sisters-in-law [multiple sisters (in law)]
But, admittedly, it can be hard to apply this logic in some cases (e.g., “merry-go-rounds”). If in doubt about how to pluralise a term, check a dictionary, where the correct plural form will be listed in the entry.
Compound words vs other types of words
Compound words are one way of combining multiple words into one unit, but there are other ways too. Read on to see how compound words differ from:
- Portmanteaus
- Contractions
- Acronyms
- Simple and complex words
Portmanteaus
A portmanteau (also called a blend) is a word created by blending two words together. A portmanteau is different from a closed compound word because at least one of the words making it up is not used in its complete form: some letters have been removed or moved around.
For example, the portmanteau “chortle” is a combination of “chuckle” and “snort”. A part of the word “snort” has been inserted in the middle of the word “chuckle”, but neither word appears in full. As a closed compound, it might be “chucklesnort” or “snortchuckle” (not real words).
The concept of the multiverse [multiple + universe] describes the collection of all the possible universes in existence.
Jazzercise [jazz + exercise] is a form of aerobic exercise based on jazz dancing.
Contractions
Contractions are shortenings of existing words where the omitted letters are usually (not always) marked by an apostrophe. Sometimes, a contraction is a single word with some letters omitted (e.g., “talkin’”), but most commonly, it’s two or more words combined (e.g., “don’t”, “it’s”, “wanna”).
Combining contractions like this differ from compound words, again, because they don’t include the full words they are formed from: some letters are replaced with apostrophes and not pronounced.
Another difference is that contractions, especially less common ones like “wouldn’t’ve”, are generally avoided in formal contexts like academic writing, whereas there’s no problem with using compound words in such contexts.
It’s hard for me to see why you don’t like the plan if you won’t explain your objections to it.
Acronyms
An acronym is another way of shortening a series of words into one unit, in this case by reducing each word to its first letter (e.g., “NATO”: “North Atlantic Treaty Organization”) or occasionally its first syllable (e.g., “Benelux”: “Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg”).
Some acronyms are pronounced as full words (e.g. “NATO” is [nay-toe]), while others, often called initialisms, are pronounced as individual letters (e.g., “BBC” is [bee-bee-see]).
Again, they differ from compound words because they don’t include the full words that are being combined. Acronyms are fine to use in academic writing, as long as you define them on first use.
Simple and complex words
Simple words are words that cannot be broken down into smaller meaningful pieces. For example, “run” is a simple word – you could break it down into “ru” and “n”, but it’s clear that these don’t have any meaning on their own.
Complex words are composed of parts that each contribute some meaning to the whole. For example, “runner” consists of “run” (the verb it’s derived from, describing the action in question) and “-er” (a suffix used to indicate a person who does the action).
These individual units of sense are called morphemes: a simple word consists of just one morpheme, while a complex word consists of a main morpheme (called the root; “run” in our example) plus at least one other morpheme.
A compound word differs from a complex word because it’s made up of complete words that could also stand alone. In “runner”, it’s clear that while “run” is a word in its own right, “-er” is not. In contrast, the compound “runner-up” consists of two independent words, “runner” and “up”.
Worksheet: Compound words
Want to test your understanding of compound words? Check out the worksheet below. Try to find and highlight all the compound words in each sentence.
- My mother-in-law remembers watching the moon landing on television in her teenage years.
- We ate ice cream after the football game at the local secondary school.
- A high-profile case is being considered at the courthouse.
- A cat burglar has outpaced the night watchman and stolen the crown jewels!
- After he was knocked out, it was several minutes before the prizefighter came to.
- My mother-in-law remembers watching the moon landing on television in her teenage years.
- This sentence contains all three kinds of compounds. “Mother-in-law” is a hyphenated compound noun. “Moon landing” is an open compound noun. And “teenage” (“teen” + “age”) is a closed compound adjective.
- We ate ice cream after the football game at the local secondary school.
- This sentence contains three open compounds, all of them nouns: “ice cream”, “football game”, and “secondary school”. Additionally, “football” is itself a closed compound formed with “foot” and “ball”.
- A high-profile case is being considered at the courthouse.
- This sentence contains two compound words: the hyphenated compound adjective “high-profile” and the closed compound noun “courthouse” (“court” + “house”).
- A cat burglar has outpaced the night watchman and stolen the crown jewels!
- This sentence contains three open compound nouns – “cat burglar”, “night watchman”, and “crown jewels” – and the closed compound verb “outpaced”. Moreover, “watchman” is itself a closed compound of “watch” and “man”.
- After he was knocked out, it was several minutes for the prizefighter to come to.
- This sentence contains the open compound verbs (aka phrasal verbs) “knocked out” and “come to” and the closed compound noun “prizefighter” (“prize” + “fighter”).
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.
Verbs
- Verb tenses
- Phrasal verbs
- Sentence structure
- Active vs passive voice
- Subject-verb agreement
Other
- Articles
- Interjections
- Adjectives
- Determiners
- Prepositions
Frequently asked questions about compound words
-
Is “because” a compound word?
-
Yes, the conjunction because is a compound word, but one with a long history. It originates in Middle English from the preposition “bi” (“by”) and the noun “cause”. Over time, the open compound “bi cause” became the closed compound “because”, which we use today.
Though it’s spelled this way now, the verb “be” is not one of the words that makes up “because”.
-
Is “today” a compound word?
-
Yes, today is a compound word, but a very old one. It wasn’t originally formed from the preposition “to” and the noun “day”; rather, it originates from their Old English equivalents, “tō” and “dæġe”.
In the past, it was sometimes written as a hyphenated compound: “to-day”. But the hyphen is no longer included; it’s always “today” now (“to day” is also wrong).
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr article
Caulfield, J.
(2023, April 04). Compound Words | Types, List & Definition. Scribbr.
Retrieved 12 April 2023,
from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/english-language/compound-word/
Sources
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Show all sources (3)
Garner, B. A. (2022). Garner’s modern English usage (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
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Compounding (also known as composition or nominal composition) is important in linguistics because it allows for new words to be made and exists in most, if not all, languages. For some languages (like Chinese) it is a major source of new word formation.
Fig. 1 — Compounding combines words to create new words.
What is Compounding?
Compounding (from Latin componere, meaning ‘to put together’) combines two or more words to create a new one.
Steam + boat = Steamboat
Bed + room = Bedroom
Hair + cut = Haircut
Motor + cycle = Motorcycle
Compound elements
A compound is made up of various parts of speech such as a noun, verb, and adverb.
This means that compounds can be a combination of noun plus noun, verb plus noun, adjective plus noun, etc.
The word «bedroom» is made up of two nouns, bed and room.
The word «sunrise» is made up of a noun and a verb, sun and rise.
The word «greenhouse» is made up of an adjective and a noun, green and house.
Compounds can be written as one word, two separate words, or a word with a hyphen.
Note: Compounds are made up of complete words; this process is called nominal composition and should not be confused with morphological derivation.
Morphological derivation is when a new word is made from an existing word, usually by adding prefixes or suffixes. For example, employment is made of the verb employ plus the suffix morpheme —ment.
Classical compounds is another category of compounds, derived from Latin or ancient Greek.
Biography is a compound of the Greek words bios (life) and graphia (writing), which by the 17th century had become biography.
Agriculture is a compound of the Latin words ager (field) and cultura (growing / cultivation) which became ‘agriculture’ in late Middle English.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation can help to determine the meaning of words. Depending on how we pronounce a word, this can change its meaning. One important aspect of our pronunciations is stress. Let’s look at this in more detail:
Stress
Stress in pronunciation is when we place greater emphasis on one syllable or word than on other parts of a sentence; this usually helps us to recognize and understand the meaning of a word.
Stress is useful in helping us to understand the difference between a compound noun and an adjective with a noun. In the following examples, note where the stress falls:
A greenhouse = place where we grow plants (compound noun).
A green house = house painted green (adjective and noun).
A bluebird = type of bird (compound noun).
A blue bird = any bird with blue feathers (adjective and noun).
Compound elements
Noun + noun
bedroom
toothpaste
database
Noun + verb
greenhouse
software
redhead
Adverb + verb
output
overthrow
upturn
input
The Suspended Compound
The suspended compound is used to avoid repetition with longer words.
For example, instead of saying: ‘There are mostly eighteenth-century or nineteenth-century buildings in the town centre,’ we can shorten the first compound and say: » There are mostly eighteenth- or nineteenth-century buildings in the town centre. »
Other examples:
Short- and long-term plans are equally valid.
Both first- and second-class tickets cost the same.
Compounding across the globe
Compounds exist in virtually every language.
Let’s look at some examples from around the world.
| English | Italian | Spanish |
| science fiction | fantascienza | ciencia-ficción |
| science + fiction | imaginary + science | science + fiction |
| Dutch | English | Composition |
| verjaardagskalender | birthday calendar | verjaardag ‘birthday’ + calendar ‘calendar’ |
| Klantenserviceemedewerker | customer service representative | clanten ‘customers’ + service ‘service’ + medewerker ‘worker’ |
| university library | university library | university ‘university’ + library ‘library’ |
| Chinese | English | Composition |
| 谢谢 | thanks | Repeating of 謝 xiè thank |
| 摩天 楼 | skyscraper | 摩 mó touch + 天 tiān sky + 楼 lóu building (with more than 1 storey |
| 学生 | college student | 學 xué learn + 生 shēng living being |
| 百科 全書 | encyclopaedia | 百 bǎi hundred + 科 kē (branch of) study + 全 quán entire / complete + 書 shū book |
| Finnish | English | Composition |
| sanakirja | dictionary | sana ‘word’ + kirja ‘book’ |
| tietokone | computer | tieto ‘knowledge data’ + kone ‘machine’ |
| German | English | Composition |
| skyscraper | skyscraper | Clouds’ + scratches’ scraper ‘ |
| railroad | railway | Iron ‘iron’ + train ‘track’ |
| Ancient Greek | English | Composition |
| φιλόσοφος | philosopher | φίλος phílos ‘beloved’ + σοφία sophíā ‘wisdom’ |
| δημοκρατία | democracy | δῆμος dêmos ‘people’ + κράτος ‘rule’ |
| Italian | English | Composition |
| millepiedi | centipede | mille ‘thousand’ + piedi ‘feet’ |
| ferrovia | railway | ferro ‘iron’ + via ‘way’ |
Compounds and form
Compound nouns can be written in three ways: open form, closed form and hyphenated form.
Open form compounds
An open (or spaced) compound is written as two separate words.
washing machine,
water bottle.
Closed form compounds
A closed (or solid) compound is written as one word.
rainfall,
drawback,
toothpaste.
Hyphenated form compounds
A hyphenated compound is written with a hyphen.
Check in,
hanger-on,
mother-in-law.
Some compounds are made up of two similar-sounding elements, such as:
- goody-goody,
- hush-hush,
- razzle-dazzle.
These are called reduplicative compounds and are usually hyphenated if each element has one or more syllables. However, closed form is also common, as in:
- crisscross,
- knickknack,
- singsong.
Compound subclasses
Compounds are usually made up of two words:
One word gives the basic meaning of the whole compound and is called the head, the other word (the modifier) qualifies this meaning (ie. it gives us more specific information about the head).
Compounds can be divided into four subclasses:
Endocentric
Exocentric
Coordinative
Appositional
Endocentric compounds
In endocentric compounds, the meaning of the whole word tends to be clear and relates to the head.
The first word will be the modifier. The head word comes second and categorizes the compound. This is called a head final. The modifier will qualify the meaning of the head final.
In the compound word cookbook, book is the head (it gives us the main meaning) and cook is the modifier (it tells us what kind of book).
In the compound word doghouse, house is the head and dog is the modifier, and this tells us it is a house intended for a dog.
Endocentric compounds tend to be of the same part of speech (word class) as their head, as in the case of doghouse, which is made up of a noun plus noun .
Cat food tells us what type of food (food intended for cats).
Water bottle tells us what type of bottle (a bottle we can drink water from).
Because the modifier gives us a specialisation of the head word, this type of compound is also known as a descriptive compound.
Fig. 2 — Cookbook is an endocentric compound.
Exocentric compounds
With exocentric compounds, the meaning is not obvious and often seems unrelated to any part of the compound itself.
Facebook is not a type of book.
Scarecrow is not a type of crow.
Paperback is not a type of back.
Facebook is a social media platform, yet we couldn’t guess this from the words used to make the compound. The same goes for scarecrow, a figure created to scare birds away from crops, and paperback, which is a type of book.
Exocentric compounds lack a clear head and are also often called headless compounds.
Coordinative compounds
Coordinative (or copulative) compounds are compounds with two semantic heads that work in coordination. The meanings will be related, or have similar origins, without being the same thing.
Semantic gives us the meaning or interpretation of a word.
For example, actor-manager means someone who is an actor and a theatre manager.
Producer-director is a person who is a producer and a director.
Camper-trailer is a vehicle that is a camper and a trailer.
Theater-museum is a building that is both a theater and a museum.
Coordinative compounds are often used to describe people’s professions and can be made up of as many as five words.
Designer-builder is a person who designs and builds.
Listener-viewer-reader is a person who lists, watches (films) and reads (books).
Musician-writer-fillmmaker is a musician who is also a professional writer and filmmaker.
Fig. 3 — Musician-writer-filmmaker is a coordinative compound.
Appositional compounds
Appositional compounds are made up of (two) words that each describe the compound differently.
For example, instead of saying ‘these prehistoric tribes were both hunters and gatherers’ you could say ‘these prehistoric tribes were hunter-gatherers’.
Player-coach means a person who is both a player and a coach.
Student-teacher is a student who also teaches.
Singer-songwriter is a singer who is also a songwriter.
Table summary
| Type | Description | Examples |
| Endocentric | A + B = a special kind of B | Whiteboard, darkroom |
| Exocentric | A + B = an external, unrelated meaning | Redhead, cowhand |
| Coordinative | A + B = ‘the sum’ of what A and B denote | Producer-director, theater-museum |
| Appositional |
A and B offer different descriptions for the same thing or person |
Hunter-gatherer, student-teacher |
Brahuvrihi compounds:
Brahuvrihi compounds are a subclass of exocentric compounds, and are also known as possessive compounds. This is when the first part (or word) of the compound is a specific feature of the second.
Hunchback is a person who has a hunched, or very curved, back.
Bluebell is a particular type of bell-shaped flower coloured blue.
A highbrow is a brow that is high (and associated with intelligence or intellect).
White-collar is a collar that is white (and therefore associated with office workers).
Barefoot is used when a person walks about without shoes on
The term comes from Sanskrit bahuvrīhi, which is also this type of compound, from bahu much + vrīh rice.
Possessive or bahuvrihi compounds are often used in English to describe characteristics of people, and can be figurative, or non-literal, in their meaning.
Green thumb suggests a person who is good at growing green things eg a gardener.
Hothead suggests a person with a quick (or ‘hot’) temper.
Egghead suggests someone who is studious or intellectual (originally a ‘bald person’, possibly associated with academics).
Goldilocks is used to describe locks of hair that are golden in color.
Greedyguts suggests someone who has a greedy stomach or is greedy by nature.
Lazybones suggests that a person is idle or lazy.
What are Compound Sentences?
Compound words are a combination of two or more words.
Compound sentences are a combination of two or more independent clauses.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. (Joseph Heller, 1923-1999)
In the above sentence, we have three independent clauses. Note how they are linked by commas and the conjunction ‘and’.
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. They can be joined by:
- a semicolon,
- a comma and coordinating conjunction eg ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’.
«I love to travel, but I hate to arrive.» (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)
Compounding — key takeaways
- Compounding combines two or more words to create a new word.
- A compound is made up of various parts of speech such as noun, verb, and adverb.
- Compounds can be a combination of noun plus noun, verb plus noun, adjective plus noun etc.
- Compounds can be written as one word, as two separate words, or as a word with a hyphen.
- Compounds can be divided into four subclasses: endocentric, exocentric, coordinative and appositional.
- Compound sentences are a combination of two or more independent clauses, linked by ‘and’, ‘but’ or a semi-colon.
What are Compound Words?
It’s best to define compound words with an example:
Grand + Mother
On their own, both these words have separate meanings. But when you put these two words together, it creates an entirely different word and meaning.
Grandmother
For compound words, when you put two different words together, it forms another word and meaning. There are different types of compound words. For example, compound words can have hyphens, spaces, or no spaces at all between the two words.
Types of Compound Words
Over time, English has morphed itself. As a result, people have created new types of compound words. In turn, this language gets passed along and circulated to what it is today.
In terms of compound words, they’ve transformed into various types. For example, compound words can have hyphens, spaces, or no spaces at all between the two words. There are 3 types of compound words:
- Hyphenated Compound Words
- Closed Compound Words
- Open Compound Words
Below, we have added lists of examples for all the types of compound words.
Hyphenated Compound Words Examples
Hyphenated compound words place a hyphen between the two words. For example, “well-being” is a hyphenated compound word because it connects two words together with a hyphen.
HYPHENATED COMPOUND WORDS
- High-speed
- Empty-handed
- Mass-production
- High-tech
- Deep-fried
- Left-handed
- In-depth
- Full-length
- Part-time
- Time-saving
- North-east
- Sun-dried
- Long-haired
Closed Compound Words Examples
Closed compound words don’t have any spaces between the two combined words. For example, “playground” is a closed compound word because it doesn’t have a space between it.
CLOSED COMPOUND WORDS
- Playground
- Footprint
- Fishbowl
- Grasshopper
- Bookmark
- Keyhole
- Bowtie
- Popcorn
- Basketball
- Horseshoe
- Keyboard
- Notepad
- Skateboard
Open Compound Words Examples
Open compound words put two words together to create a meaningful weird but use a space to separate them. For instance, high school is an open compound word.
OPEN COMPOUND WORDS
- High school
- Living room
- Roller coaster
- Peanut butter
- First aid
- Web page
- Hot dog
- Voice mail
- Table cloth
- Fire drill
- Ice cream
What’s Next?
What do Superman, Robocop, and Catwoman all have in common?
They’re superheroes! Yes. But they’re also all compound words too. Actually, there are compound words everywhere.
And they’re tons of fun to teach with our free compound words worksheets. What are some of your favorite compound words?
And if you want to teach compound words, check out our free compound words worksheets that you can use in your classroom today.