11 words that shouldn't be hyphenated

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Sometimes I really want to put a hyphen. But in all doubtful cases, it is better to check the spelling in the dictionary.

1. Digital-to-analog

There is such a rule: if an adjective is formed from equal words, then we write through a hyphen (“Russian-English” from “Russian” and “English”), and if from a phrase - merged (“railway” from “railway”). Therefore, I really want to write "digital-analog" - "digital and analog". However, everything is more complicated than taught in school.

The spelling also depends on the presence of an adjective or participle suffix in the first part. If it is not there, the word can be written together, even if it is formed from equal words: "deaf-mute", "speech-thinking", "hip", "ankle". Although there is also "sound-letter", "vegetable-milk", "species-temporal", "question-answer", "liquor-vodka". Therefore, we check the dictionary.

In our case, it is written together - "digital-to-analog".

2. Barcode

Compound words - formed from phrases without connecting vowels - are written together.

"Barcode" is derived from "barcode" - there is no hyphen here.

3. Mass media

This is again an abbreviated word from "mass media", according to the rule it is written without a hyphen. At the same time, "mass media" is an exception to the rule about doubled consonants: in compound-abbreviated words, usually only one consonant remains, and here - "ss".

4. Half liter

If a word begins with a consonant, then "half-" is written together with it ("half a day"). If from a capital letter, a vowel or "l" - through a hyphen ("half of Russia", "half an apple", "half a liter").

But "half a liter" is an exception. Although after the "half-" there is "l", for some reason, in this case, a continuous spelling is considered correct.

5. Workday

Nouns that name complex units of measurement are written with a hyphen: "bed-place", "car-place", "standard-hour", "person-day" and so on.

However, there are also exceptions to this rule. "Workday" is spelled together. "Labor hour", by the way, too.

6. Dust jacket

The prefix "super-" is always written together. If the root begins with "e", "e", "yu", "i", then after "super-", as well as after other prefixes ending in a consonant, "b" is put: "super bright", "super lawyer", " super capacious "," superfood ". And no hyphens.

7. Pseudoscience

There is a rule: compound nouns with the first part, foreign in origin, which ends in a vowel and is not used independently, are written together.

“Pseudo-” fits this rule: “pseudoscience”, “pseudo-patriotism”, “pseudo-just”. However, before the capital letter and the word with a hyphen, "pseudo" is written with a hyphen: "pseudo-Hippocrates", "pseudo-online education".

According to the same rule, words are written with “media-” (“media group”, “media plan”, “media manager”) and “quasi” (“quasi-legitimate”, “quasi-poetry”).

8. Trendy

In our language there are not only Russian prefixes (“without-”, “before-”, “for-” and others), but also foreign language. These include "ultra-", which is spelled, like other similar prefixes, together: "ultra-fashionable", "ultra-left", "ultrasonic". The exception is ultra-si.

The prefix "counter" also obeys the same rule: "counter-argument", "counter-revolution", "counterattack", "counter-game". The exception is "Rear Admiral".

However, prefixes and the first parts of compound words are hyphenated with words that already contain a hyphen: “ultra-hurray-patriot”, “ultra-social-democratic”, “counter-internet-revolution”.

9. Big Mac

In this case, a very simple rule works: the spelling of complex nouns with the first part, which is not used independently, must be determined by the spelling dictionary.

Despite the hyphenated spelling of the words "big-band" and "big-bit", "big mac" is written together.

Fast food is spelled in the same way, and another popular borrowed word is face control.

10. Arthouse

“Art” in the meaning of “artistic, related to art”, as a rule, is written with a hyphen: “art-design”, “art-director”, “art-club”, “art-therapy”.

However, "art house" is an exception, and this word must be written in one piece.

11. Orange blossom

This traditional part of the bride's wedding dress is spelled in French like this - fleur d'orange ("orange flower"). In Russian, an apostrophe (“fleur d'orange”) is often retained or hyphenated (“fleur-d-orange”). However, the spelling dictionary contains only a continuous spelling - "orange blossom".