Hyphens, the most commonly used (and misused) type of dash symbol. Let’s look at the common correct and incorrect usages of hyphens:
To create a compound word:
| Correct example for compound word | Incorrect examples |
|---|---|
| Short-term accommodation. | Short term accommodation. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
| A well-known actor. | A well known actor. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
| A genome-wide analysis. | A genome wide analysis. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
| Maternally-methylated ICRs. | Maternally methylated ICRs. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
To make a modification clear:
| Correct example for modification | Incorrect examples |
|---|---|
| She is a foreign-car dealer. | She is a foreign car-dealer. Incorrect because the hyphen is used on the noun and not the modification. |
| He is a small-business owner. | He is a small business-owner. Incorrect because the hyphen is used on the noun and not the modification. |
| A thermodynamically-constrained model. | A thermodynamically constrained model. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
| A chi-squared analysis. | A chi squared-analysis. Incorrect because there is no hyphen highlighting the compound word. |
For suspended compounds (also called hanging compounds):
| Correct example for suspended compound | Incorrect examples |
|---|---|
| The short- and long-term memory analysis. | The short and long term memory analysis. Incorrect because there are no hyphens indicating the suspended terms for the compound word. |
| Follow standard pre- and post-operative procedures. | Follow standard pre and post operative procedures. Incorrect because there are no hyphens indicating the suspended terms for the compound word. |
| We analyzed both 3- and 10-year studies. | We analyzed both 3 and 10 year studies. Incorrect because there are no hyphens indicating the suspended terms for the compound word. |
| The fine- and coarse-grained resolution. | The fine and coarse grained resolution. Incorrect because there are no hyphens indicating the suspended terms for the compound word. |