How Do You Spell HYPHEN?

Pronunciation: [hˈa͡ɪfən] (IPA)

The spelling of the word "hyphen" is one that is often subject to confusion. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is ˈhaɪfən. The "h" at the beginning is pronounced softly, almost as an exhale. The "y" is pronounced as a long "i" sound, followed by a short "f" sound. The "e" is a neutral vowel sound, and the "ph" is pronounced as an "f" sound. Finally, the "-en" is pronounced as a short "ən" sound, similar to the "-un" sound in the word "fun".

HYPHEN Meaning and Definition

  1. A hyphen is a punctuation mark (-) that is used to join words or parts of words together. It is a small line-shaped symbol placed at the end of a line when a word or part of a word continues onto the next line. The primary purpose of a hyphen is to indicate the connection or union between two or more words, creating a compound word or joining word parts.

    Hyphens are commonly used to form compound words such as "mother-in-law," "well-being," or "self-confidence." They help clarify the relationship between the connected words and make it easier for the reader to understand the intended meaning. Hyphens also come into play when connecting prefixes and suffixes to words or when splitting words at the end of a line to maintain proper formatting.

    Moreover, hyphens are used to denote ranges, such as in time (e.g., 9:00-5:00) or numbers (e.g., pages 45-62). They can also indicate word breaks in dictionaries or to separate syllables when breaking words at the end of a line.

    Correct usage of hyphens is vital for clear and accurate writing. Using hyphens appropriately helps avoid confusion or ambiguity and ensures proper interpretation of compound words and word combinations.

  2. A short line between the parts of a compound word.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for HYPHEN *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for HYPHEN

Etymology of HYPHEN

The word "hyphen" has its origins in the Latin word "hyphen" and the Greek word "hyphén", which both mean "together, in one", or "under one". It was later adopted into English from the Latin, and its use as a punctuation mark to connect words or parts of words dates back to the 17th century.

Similar spelling words for HYPHEN

Plural form of HYPHEN is HYPHENS

Conjugate verb Hyphen

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have hyphened
you would have hyphened
he/she/it would have hyphened
we would have hyphened
they would have hyphened
I would have hyphen
you would have hyphen
he/she/it would have hyphen
we would have hyphen
they would have hyphen

CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

I would have been hyphening
you would have been hyphening
he/she/it would have been hyphening
we would have been hyphening
they would have been hyphening

CONDITIONAL PRESENT

I would hyphen
you would hyphen
he/she/it would hyphen
we would hyphen
they would hyphen

CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

I would be hyphening
you would be hyphening
he/she/it would be hyphening
we would be hyphening
they would be hyphening

FUTURE

I will hyphen
you will hyphen
he/she/it will hyphen
we will hyphen
they will hyphen

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be hyphening
you will be hyphening
he/she/it will be hyphening
we will be hyphening
they will be hyphening

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have hyphened
you will have hyphened
he/she/it will have hyphened
we will have hyphened
they will have hyphened

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been hyphening
you will have been hyphening
he/she/it will have been hyphening
we will have been hyphening
they will have been hyphening

IMPERATIVE

you hyphen
we let´s hyphen

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to hyphen

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was hyphening
you were hyphening
he/she/it was hyphening
we were hyphening
they were hyphening

PAST PARTICIPLE

hyphened

PAST PERFECT

I had hyphened
you had hyphened
he/she/it had hyphened
we had hyphened
they had hyphened

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been hyphening
you had been hyphening
he/she/it had been hyphening
we had been hyphening
they had been hyphening

PRESENT

I hyphen
you hyphen
he/she/it hyphens
we hyphen
they hyphen

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am hyphening
you are hyphening
he/she/it is hyphening
we are hyphening
they are hyphening

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

hyphening

PRESENT PERFECT

I have hyphened
you have hyphened
he/she/it has hyphened
we have hyphened
they have hyphened

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been hyphening
you have been hyphening
he/she/it has been hyphening
we have been hyphening
they have been hyphening

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

he/she/it hyphen

SIMPLE PAST

I hyphened
you hyphened
he/she/it hyphened
we hyphened
they hyphened

Infographic

Add the infographic to your website: