One Word? Two Words?

Sonia Jaffe Robbins, Editing Workshop, G54.1123, WEEK IV

Is It One Word? Two Words? Hyphenated?

One of the stickier problems copy editors worry about is whether a two-word phrase is two separate words, hyphenated, or combined to become "oneword." Concepts may start out as two words -- common sense, for example -- become hyphenated as adjectives, and then eventually become one word -- commonsense -- as the usage becomes more commonplace.

The following charts show a random selection of troublesome words of this sort. These are all from Webster's 10th Collegiate Dictionary. An * indicates that the same form is in Webster's New World Dictionary (no asterisk means the term is not in the New World Dictionary at all). Italics indicates the form in Webster's New World when it differs from Webster's 10th.

NOUN ADJECTIVE VERB

backup backup* back up

breakout* breakout break out

closeup
close-up close-up close up

crossover* crossover* cross over

dead end* dead-end* dead-end*

follow-up* follow up* follow up

knockout* knockout* knock out

machine gun* machine-gun machine-gun

pickup* pickup* pick up

rundown* run-down* run down

stand-up stand-up* stand up

standoff* standoff stand off

start-up* start-up* start up

turnaround* turnaround turn around

washout* washed-out wash out

X ray
x-ray X-ray* x-ray
X-ray

NOUN VERB

blowout* blow out

breakdown* break down

breakthrough* break through

breakup* break up

buildup* build up

buyout* buy out

double cross double-cross

giveaway* give away

jump cut
jump-cut jump-cut*

jumpstart
jump-start jump-start*

layoff* lay off

lineup* line up

makeup make up

rip-off* rip off

send-up
sendup send up

setup* set up

short circuit* short-circuit*

shortcut* shortcut
short-cut

spin-off
spinoff spin off

standout* stand out

takeoff* take off

tie-in* tie in

window dressing window-dressing

workout* work out

wrap-up* wrap up

NOUN ADJECTIVE

bottom line* bottom-line*

common sense* commonsense
common-sense

front line* frontline*

highflier* high-flying
highflying

lowdown* low-down
lowdown

low life
lowlife low-life
lowlife

ADJECTIVE VERB

wake-up* wake up

In looking at these charts, what do you notice about the two dictionaries? What general tendencies do you see?

There are rules, however, for words or phrases that are adjectives when they precede a noun and adverbs when they follow a verb. Watch especially for the following usages:

ADJECTIVE	ADVERB
She was a longtime politician.	She campaigned a long time.
It was an everyday occurrence.	It happened every day.

Some adverbs split apart when they become objects of a preposition.

OBJECT OF PREPOSITION	ADVERB
He was gone for a while.	He was gone awhile.

The following adjectives, with the common element of parts of the body, show how completely arbitrary this question of "to hyphenate or close up" can be.

clear-eyed
sharp-eyed*
eye-catching
eye-opening

flat-footed*
fleet-footed
light-footed
surefooted

evenhanded*
ham-handed
heavy-handed*
high-handed
highhanded
light-handed*
openhanded*
offhanded*
right-handed*
singlehanded
single-handed
sure-handed

clearheaded*
coolheaded
hardheaded*
hotheaded*
levelheaded*
light-headed
thickheaded*
wrongheaded*

bighearted
brokenhearted*
coldhearted*
fainthearted*
good-hearted*
halfhearted*
hard-hearted
heavyhearted
heavy-hearted
kindhearted*
lighthearted*
openhearted*
softhearted*
warmhearted*
wholehearted*

heartbreaking*
heartbroken*
heartrending
heart-stopping*
heartwarming*
heart-wrenching

absentminded
high-minded
like-minded*
narrow-minded*
open-minded
simpleminded
single-minded*
small-minded*
strong-minded
tough-minded
mind-boggling*

Last revision: January 16, 2005