How to Use Complex Words Correctly (Almost) Every Time
Complex words are scattered throughout the English language – endless combinations of small words that together form new, larger words. However, how they fit together in writing can be different, and you might be wondering: is this a long-term, long-term, or long-term problem? This is because there are three different types of compound words, and it is not always obvious whether a compound word should be written as one word, two words, or hyphenated.
What is a connection anyway?
Whenever we deal with grammar, I think it’s best to start with the basics – just in case English lessons in elementary school are slipping away from you right now. So, you form a compound word when you put two or more words together to form a new word that has its own meaning. Bed + room = bedroom. After + life = afterlife.
However, not all compound words are combined into one word. There are three categories of compound words:
- Open connections: These connections preserve spaces between words. (Ice cream, canteen, coffee mug, school bus, sweet tooth.)
- Closed subparts: These subparts are combined into one word without a space. (Ballroom dancing, parenthood, baseball, life, jellyfish.)
- Hyphenated constituent parts: Words are concatenated with hyphens. (Father-in-law, famous, first-class, carousel, recheck.)
Permanent and temporary connections
Common compound words that have been used extensively for many years are considered permanent compound words and can often be found in a dictionary. For example, there is little debate about whether the word “bedroom” should be one or two words. But when new, temporary compound words begin to be used, confusion can arise as to which style is preferable: open, closed, or hyphenated. This is something that usually gets worked out over time; meanwhile, any use is probably fair play as long as the readers can figure out what you mean.
Here’s what Merriam-Webster has to say about it:
For many, the term is often quite acceptable free choice between the open and closed defisnymi alternatives, despite the fact that this term was used in the English language for a long period (eg, lifestyle, lifestyle or way of life). While the style that is ultimately assigned to the lineup may be determined by nothing more than editorial preference, there is one pattern that often holds true when new lineups are established in the English language.
In these cases, it’s okay to switch it if you have a strong preference that doesn’t match the more widely used option.
Time for the “rule”
I put the “rule” in quotation marks because we are talking about English and we all understand that the rules of English grammar are more like general guidelines. But vague guidance is better than nothing, so if you’ve ever wondered what type of compound word to use (and you don’t feel like looking for it, or your research is flimsy), you can usually assume that :
- A compound noun is one word
- A compound verb is two words
- Compound adjective is hyphenated
Again, there are all kinds of exceptions to these so-called rules. But the most obvious of them – for example, the noun “living room” consists of two words – you are unlikely to have to rack your brains anyway. In such cases, simply select the one you use most often.