What’s the difference between a “little used car” and a “little-used car”? Between “more critical attacks” and “more-critical attacks”? Or, for that matter, between “toxic tort litigation” and “toxic-tort litigation”?
Phrasal Adjectives:
- Rule: When two or more words form a unit that comes before the noun that the words modify, hyphenate those words (public-accommodation laws; full-time professor).
- Exception—Adverbs ending in -ly: Readers of English know that adverbs can’t modify a noun, so hyphenation is unnecessary.
- Exception—Familiar Phrases: If the term is familiar, not all good writers hyphenate the phrase (summary judgment standard; criminal law attorney). And over time, many hyphenated phrases drop the hyphen and become a single word. For these, consult a reputable usage guide.
Numbers:
- Compound Numbers: Compound numbers that function as adjectives should be hyphenated (twenty-one individuals; one-hundred dollars; five-year-old child).
- Fractions Used as Adjectives or Nouns: Fractions used as adjectives or nouns should be hyphenated (a two-thirds majority; she completed one-half of the marathon).
Proper Nouns:
- Rule: Don’t hyphenate a proper noun used as an adjective (the Penn East decision).
Prefixes & Suffixes:
- Rule: Certain prefixes (e.g., ex-, self-, all-) and suffixes (e.g., -elect) usually require a hyphen. Consult a legal-use guide for a more exhaustive list.
Suspended Hyphens:
- Rule: When two or more compound modifiers have a common base and this base is omitted in all but the last modifier, the base is suspended, and the hyphens remain (the third- and fourth-grade teachers complained).
If you'd like more examples on proper hyphenation practices, then you can find more information in our hyphen nation article and this phrasal adjectives article.
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