Hyphens (-)

• Use a hyphen to indicate compound words:

Mother-in-law

• Use a hyphen to join two word units:            

Long-standing

• Use a hyphen to avoid doubling vowels and tripling consonants:

Anti-intellectual instead of antiintellectual

• Use a hyphen between words that are spelled alike but have different meanings:

Re-creation does not mean the same thing as recreation.

• Use a hyphen to form a compound adjective preceding a noun:

Spike Lee is a well-known film director.

• Do not use a hyphen to form a compound word after a linking verb.

 Film director Spike Lee is well known.

Click here to read more about hyphens in the context of correct grammar.