The document discusses the proper uses of hyphens in the English language. It provides 9 main uses of hyphens: 1) to avoid ambiguity, 2) spelling out numbers, 3) linking nouns, 4) modifying nouns, 5) with certain prefixes, 6) spelling out words, 7) avoiding "letter collision", 8) dividing words at line breaks, and 9) dividing already hyphenated words at line breaks. The document also notes that words can stop being hyphenated through repeated common use, and provides examples to illustrate the difference a hyphen can make in meaning.

1. The Hyphen
(From Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss,
2003)

2. • “There are a great many hyphens left in
America. For my part, I think the most un-
American thing in the world is a hyphen.”
Woodrow Wilson, 1919
1856-1924
Former US President, 1912-1920.
Re-elected in 1916.)

3. Uses of the Hyphen
• 1. To avoid ambiguity.
▫ A re-formed musical group.
▫ (The group separated and then came back
together)
▫ A reformed musical group.
▫ (The group had “problems/issues” but has
since changed for the better)
▫ A long-standing friend. (Friend for a long
time)
▫ A long standing friend. (The friend has been
standing upright for a long time)

4. • 2. Spelling out numbers.
• Twenty-three.
• Forty-two.
• 3. Linking nouns to other nouns.
• The London-Brighton train.
• American-French relations.
• Tarzan the ape-man.

5. • 4. A noun phrase modifying another noun.
▫ Stainless steel – not hyphenated, just an
adjective modifying a noun.
▫ Stainless-steel kitchen – “stainless steel”
works as a noun phrase, and the hyphen
prevents reading it as a stainless kitchen
made out of steel.

6. • 5. Certain (but not all) prefixes.
• Un-American
• Anti-Communist
• Quasi-grammatical
• But not:
• Prejudice
• Subordinate

7. • 6. Spelling out words
• Muammar Qaddafi’s name has been
spelled:
• G-h-a-d-d-a-f-i
• K-a-d-d-a-f-i
• G-a-d-h-a-f-i
• K-h-a-d-a-f-y
• (and over 30 other variants)

8. • 7. To avoid “letter collision” in compound
words:
• Shell-like, not Shelllike
• Re-elect, not reelect.
• De-ice, not deice.

9. • 8. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of
a line if necessary, and make the break only
between syllables:pref-er-ence
sell-ing
in-di-vid-u-al-ist
• 9. For line breaks, divide already-hyphenated
words only at the hyphen:
• mass-produced
self-conscious

10. When does a word stop being
hyphenated?
• Through repeated use, typically.
• Previous hyphenated words:
• To-morrow
• Sub-marine
• Good-bye

11. What’s the difference?
• Little-used car.
• Little used car.
• Pickled-eggs salesman.
• Pickled eggs salesman.