Words are usually combined to express a literal or nonliteral (figurative) unit idea that would not be as clearly expressed in unconnected succession.
- afterglow
- bookkeeping
- cupboard
- forget-me-not
- gentleman
- newsprint
- right-of-way
- whitewash
A derivative of a compound retains the solid or hyphenated form of the original compound unless otherwise indicated.
- coldbloodedness
- footnoting
- ill-advisedly
- outlawry
- praiseworthiness
- railroader
- Y-shaped
A hyphen is used to avoid doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant, except after the short prefixes co, de, pre, pro, and re, which are generally printed solid. (See also rules 6.29 and 6.32.)
- cooperation
- deemphasis
- preexisiting
- anti-inflation
- micro-organism
- semi-independent
- brass-smith
- Inverness-shire
- thimble-eye
- ultra-atomic
- shell-like
- hull-less
- but
- co-occupant
- cross section
Print solid two nouns that form a third when the compound has only one primary accent, especially when the prefixed noun consists of only one syllable or when one of the elements loses its original accent.
- airship
- bathroom
- bookseller
- cupboard
- dressmaker
- fishmonger
- footnote
- locksmith
- workman
Print solid a noun consisting of a short verb and an adverb as its second element, except when the use of the solid form would interfere with comprehension.
- blowout
- breakdown
- hangover
- holdup
- makeready
- markoff
- pickup
- builddown
- cooldown
- runoff
- setup
- showdown
- thowaway
- tradeoff
- flareback
- giveaway
- but
- cut-in
- phase-in
- run-in
- sit-in
