Hyphens

As I read (and read, and read) entries for the contest at The Writing Show, the number of missing hyphens caught my eye. I think newer writers must be afraid of misusing hyphens and just ignore them. Here's a rule-of-thumb for correct usage: it's all in the wrist. No, wait, that's tennis ... golf? It's really mostly in the compound words and ones on their way to becoming one word.

Only hyphenate two adjectives that combine to describe a following noun (not a previous one.) Example: He bought a six-foot ladder.

Also use a hyphen when two or more separated words or word elements modify the same noun: Did he buy a six- or eight-foot ladder? pre- and post-testing.

Other uses for hyphens include to avoid doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant (bell-like), after prefixes ex- and self-, and to clarify pairs of words beginning with re- when one of them has a special meaning (resign and re-sign.)

And, of course, use a hyphen at the end of a line to indicate a division of word syllables. Oh, and for special words like anyone-in-law or the aforementioned thumb rule.

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