Two words combined new word

It’s possible to combine two words into one when you want to convey a specific meaning relating to both. You can turn something like “list” and “article” into “listicle.” This article will explore the best terms you can use to combine two words into one.

The best terms for combining two words into one are “blend word,” “blending,” and “portmanteau word.” These are the best ways to refer to a word that’s been made out of two completely different words. It’s a great way to show that both words impact the new word’s meaning.

Correct Terms for Two Words Combined Into One

1. Blend Word

“Blend word” is a great phrase to use when words are combined into one. It’s an informal construct, allowing you to create new words based on the fundamental sounds and letters that come from two completely different words.

For example, a “blend word” would be “brunch.” It takes “breakfast” and “lunch” and combines the two words into one. This is an efficient way of using both words more recognisably.

“Blending” is the official term for combining words in this way.

It works best informally because you need to overlook specific grammatical rules to accept certain blend words. For example, “frenemy” means “friend” and “enemy.” It’s not an official word, but it’s widely regarded and understood because of how common the blend is.

The definition of “blend word,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a word formed by combining two other words.”

  • I think they called it “chillaxation.” It’s a blend word combining “chill” and “relaxation.” I think it has a ring to it.
  • What is it with all these blend words becoming more popular? I’m not sure I can keep up with the youth of today and their lingo.
  • I thought of a few new blend words that could work quite well in these contexts. Let me know which ones you like the best.

2. Blending

“Blending” is the term used when combining two words into a shorter form. You can use it to refer to the action of grouping two words as “blending” is the verb gerund form.

“Blend word” is the noun form, and “blending” is the verb. They both mean the same thing. They allow you to group words to create smaller, informal words and phrases that help you get your point across more efficiently.

  • Blending words is super easy. You can say something like “sitcom” or “cosplay.” They take little bits and create big words.
  • I love blending words to create new ideas. It’s always exciting to come up with words that nobody has thought of before.
  • Blending words is a lot of fun when you know what you’re doing. You should try it sometime to see if it works for you.

3. Portmanteau Word

“Portmanteau word” is a great way to refer to two combined words. It has a French origin relating to a suitcase that opens in two equal parts.

“Portmanteau” is French for “carry case” or “suitcase.” It refers to a suitcase that can be opened into two equal parts. It evolved to mean that two words could combine to create a new word and hold a new meaning that takes equal parts from the original word.

It’s a very common way to refer to a blended word. You could combine something like “jeans” and “leggings” into the popular portmanteau word “jeggings.” It takes an equal meaning from both original words to create a new one.

Nowadays, “portmanteau” is much more common to refer to combined words rather than a suitcase. Most native speakers know it as the phrase used when words like “brunch” or “jeggings” are created.

The definition of “portmanteau word,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a word formed by combining two other words.”

  • What portmanteau words do you know? I’ve heard “biopic” lately, and I’ve been pronouncing it wrong for the longest time!
  • I think you should come up with a portmanteau word for that. It’s too wordy, and people will remember it easier if it is shortened.
  • This portmanteau word comes from “drama” and “comedy.” A “dramedy” is a great form of theatre that you must watch!

4. Coining

“Coining” is a great phrase to use when new words are developed. It doesn’t refer to combining two words, but it allows you to “coin” a new word if you’ve made one yourself.

For example, if you combine “breakfast” and “lunch” into “brunch,” you could “coin” that word. However, it only applies when you are the first person to do it. Since “brunch” is already accepted as a portmanteau word, you can’t “coin” it yourself.

That doesn’t mean you can’t try to find other words that you can “coin.” There’s no limit to what words you can combine.

  • I’m coining a new word from these two. It’s stupid to have to say them individually after all this time.
  • You should try coining your own blend of the words. I think it’ll be really interesting to come up with something new.
  • He’s managed to coin that word on his own. I was quite surprised that he was able to be that creative with it.

5. Compounding

“Compounding” refers to combining two words into one. However, it works very differently from the other words in this article. You need to know the difference before using “compounding” correctly.

“Compounding” takes two full words and combines them without removing any letters. For example, “back” and “drop” can compound to become “backdrop.”

You cannot call it “compounding” when combining two words into a more informal word (i.e. “chill” and “relax” becoming “chillax” is not compounding).

“Compounding” is the official grammatical term used when two words combine to become a compound noun or adjective. You might also find a hyphen comes between the words (mainly when using adjectives).

  • Compounding words only work when you need them to be in the same breath. Something like “football” or “cupcake” works here.
  • You should try compounding those words. They’re used together enough times that people expect them to be written like that.
  • I’m not sure what compounding those words is going to do for the sentence. You should try something else.

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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.

Portman-what? A portmanteau is a word that combines two different words to form a new one. Many English words are portmanteaus. 

English is a language that borrows a lot from other languages, including itself. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, it helps to know how words are created in English. This will help you determine the meaning of other words. 


Portmanteaus combine the sounds of two words to form a new word. The new word has a different but related meaning.

Here are some examples of portmanteaus. 

1. blog – A blog is a website where someone writes his thoughts, activities, and experiences. It combines the words «web» and «log». A log is a record of someone’s thoughts, activities, and experiences. 

2. bionic – When something is bionic, it is made stronger because of electronic parts. It combines the words «biology» and «electronic».

3. brunch – This word refers to a meal taken after breakfast but before lunch. It is a combination of «breakfast» and «lunch».

4. cosplay – Cosplay is the practice of dressing up in the clothes (or costume) of a character from a movie, book or video game. It combines the words «costume» and «play»

5. email – This refers to the system we have for sending messages from one computer to another. It combines the words «electronic» and «mail».

6. Internet – This is the system that connects all computers from all over the world. It is a combination of the words «international» and «network». 

7. motel – This word refers to a place where motorists, or people who travel in cars, trucks, etc., can stay overnight. It combines the words «motorist» and «hotel».

8. shopaholic – A shopaholic is someone who is addicted to shopping. It combines «shopping» and the word for someone addicted to beer, wine, and other kinds of alcohol, «alcoholic».

9. smog – This is the cloud of dirty air from cars, factories, etc., that can be found in cities. It is a combination of the word «smoke» and «fog».

10. workaholic – This is someone addicted to work. This word combines «work» and «alcoholic». 

Keep visiting this blog for more portmanteaus and other English word lists.

If you want to improve your English vocabulary, we have online English teachers who can help. You can learn new words with English conversation lessons.

Schedule your free English lesson now!

In linguistics, a blend word is a word formed from parts of two or more other words. The process is called blending and the result is a blend word.

A portmanteau word typically combines both sounds and meanings, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog. More generally, it may refer to any term or phrase that combines two or more meanings, for instance, the term «wurly» when describing hair that is both wavy and curly.

The word «portmanteau» was first used in this context by Lewis Carroll in the book Through the Looking-Glass (1871).

I’m not entirely sure if there is a technical distinction between portmanteaus and blends or if the latter is a hypernym of the former. There is some suggestion that portmanteaux specifically combine the beginning of the first word and the ending of the second. But I’ve been unable to confirm the validity of this distinction and I’ve found that they’re mostly used interchangeably. Any information on this matter is welcome.

P.S. ELU has tags for both these terms: portmanteau-words, blend-words.

Learn More With These Definitions and Examples

Updated on February 05, 2020

A word blend is formed by combining two separate words with different meanings to form a new one. These words are often created to describe a new invention or phenomenon that combines the definitions or traits of two existing things. 

Word Blends and Their Parts

Word blends are also known as portmanteau (pronunciation port-MAN-toe), a French word meaning «trunk» or «suitcase.» Author Lewis Carroll is credited with coining this term in «Through the Looking-Glass,» published in 1871. In that book, Humpty Dumpty tells Alice about making up new words from parts of existing ones:

«You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.»

There are different ways of creating word blends. One way is to combine portions of two other words to make a new one. These word fragments are called morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language. The word «camcorder,» for example,» combines parts of «camera» and «recorder.» Word blends can also be created by joining a full word with a portion of another word (called a splinter). For example, the word «motorcade» combines «motor» plus a portion of «cavalcade.»

Word blends can also be formed by overlapping or combining phonemes, which are parts of two words that sound alike. One example of an overlapping word blend is «Spanglish,» which is an informal mix of spoken English and Spanish. Blends can also be formed through the omission of phonemes. Geographers sometimes refer to «Eurasia,» the landmass that combines Europe and Asia. This blend is formed by taking the first syllable of «Europe» and adding it to the word «Asia.»

The Blend Trend

English is a dynamic language that is constantly evolving. Many of the words in the English language are derived from ancient Latin and Greek or from other European languages such as German or French. But starting in the 20th century, blended words began to emerge to describe new technologies or cultural phenomena. For instance, as dining out became more popular, many restaurants began serving a new weekend meal in the late morning. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so someone decided to make a new word that described a meal that was a little bit of both. Thus, «brunch» was born.

As new inventions changed the way people lived and worked, the practice of combining parts of words to make new ones became popular. In the 1920s, as traveling by car became more common, a new kind of hotel that catered to drivers emerged. These «motor hotels» quickly proliferated and became known as «motels.» In 1994, when a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel opened, connecting France and Great Britain, it quickly became known as the «Chunnel,» a word blend of «Channel» and «tunnel.»

New word blends are being created all the time as cultural and technological trends emerge. In 2018, Merriam-Webster added the word «mansplaining» to their dictionary. This blended word, which combines «man» and «explaining,» was coined to describe the habit that some men have of explaining things in a condescending manner.  

Examples

Here are some examples of word blends and their roots:

Blended word Root word 1 Root word 2
agitprop agitation propaganda
bash bat mash
biopic biography picture
Breathalyzer breath analyzer
clash clap crash
docudrama documentary drama
electrocute electricity execute
emoticon emotion icon
fanzine fan magazine
frenemy friend enemy
Globish global English
infotainment information entertainment
moped motor pedal
pulsar pulse quasar
sitcom situation comedy
sportscast sports broadcast
staycation stay vacation
telegenic television photogenic
workaholic work alcoholic

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