Compound Words in English: Meaning, Examples, Preparation Tips along with Practice Questions

Compound words, as the name says, are formed by combining two root words. The result word that is formed has a totally unique meaning and is a complete word in its own.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Compound word	Root words used
Sunflower	Sun+Flower
Toothbrush	Tooth+Brush
Notebook	Note+Book
Sometimes	Some+Times

Compound words not just create new root words but also improve clarity of the sentence and the language. They simplify complex ideas and help the reader understand the context better.

Also Read: Spelling Rules in Grammar

 

 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a compound word is a “word made of two or more other words, such as teapot (tea + pot) or blackbird (black + bird). The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries define a compound word as “a noun, an adjective or a verb made of two or more words or parts of words, written as one or more words, or joined by a hyphen”.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, a compound word is "two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning". Examples include "tooth" + "brush" = "toothbrush" and "eco" + "friendly" = "eco-friendly".

Also Read: English Etymology and Roots: Meaning and Examples

 

Compound words are divided into three types based on the way they are written. These are:

• Closed (written as one word)
• Open (written with a space)
• Hyphenated (connected by a hyphen)

Let’s take a look at few examples for better understanding of the three categories:

Type of Compound Word	Meaning	Examples
Closed	When two words are joined without any space in between	It is your Birthday (birth+day) today. One should sit in the Sunlight (sun+light) for some time.
Open	Two words that are written with space in between but are considered as a single unit	I love to have ice cream in summers. Today is a full moon day.
Hyphenated	Words that are connected with a hyphen	My mom worries for my well-being. Our ex-teacher is my neighbor.

Also Read:

Irregular Verbs in English Grammar

English Nouns: Types and Examples

 

Compound words are a part of speech that can be written in different combinations. These combinations can be categorized as different structures of compound words. Below is a list of these structures along with examples:

Structure	Example
Noun+Noun	This is an old Bookshop (book+shop). I love playing Football (foot+ball).
Adjective+Noun	Please can you clean the Blackboard (black+board)? Our teacher told us about the Greenhouse (green+house) effect today.
Verb+Noun	Use the Stopwatch (stop+watch) for the exam. Earlier, office workers used the Typewriter. (type+writer)
Adverb+Adjective	She is Highly Respected for her knowledge. This incident had a Long Lasting effect on her mind.
Noun+Preposition	Do you believe in Afterlife (After+life)? She asked for help from a Passer-by (Passer+By).

Also Read: 

• English Grammar: Tips and Rules
• English Punctuation: Do's and Dont's
• English Analogy: Meaning and Examples

Exceptions and special cases in compound words happen mostly while using hyphen and prefixes. Let’s have a look at them in detail with examples:

Exceptions in case of Hyphen 

 A hyphen is omitted when the adverb ends with ‘ly’. Example:

1. This dish is highly in demand by customers.
2. She is slowly learning to walk.

 

A hyphen is not used when a compound adjective comes after the noun it modifies. Example:

1. This restaurant is well known where we can have dinner at.
2. The plan is long term.

 

We generally do not use a hyphen when we use a phrase from a foreign language. Example:

1. The pasta is cooked al dente.
2. The food has been served. Bon appétit.

 

When we use two-word nouns, hyphens are generally omitted. Example:

1. Fire fighters (not fire-fighters) came immediately at the rescue spot.
2. Let’s go to the swimming pool.

Exceptions in case of Prefixes

 

A hyphen is always used between a prefix and a proper noun or a date. For example:

1. The vessel dates back to the mid-1980s.
2. She is the ex-student of this college.

 

When we add a prefix to a word that already contains a prefix, a hyphen is used. For example:

1. The lawyer’s practice and style is anti-institutional.
2. Some damages are non-reversible.

Also Read:

• English Subject and Predicate: Tips to Use

• English Pronouns: How to Use with Examples

Students can follow the below mentioned tips to prepare Compound Words and ace the topic for correct and efficient use.

• Practice by writing and combining new words. If you see that the combinations form new words that have a meaning of their own, you can introduce yourself to new compound words.
• Read a lot. The more you read, the more words you learn.
• Pay attention to the rules used, including the types and structure. This way, students will learn to use right compound words at the right places.
• Apart from books and novels, students can make use of the online tools and increase your vocabulary with youtube, online word games or online books and other reading materials.

Also Read: English Auxiliary and Modal Verbs

Students can follow the below mentioned steps to identify compound words in English language:

• Check the sentences and find words that are a combination of two and more words.
• After you identify such a word, make sure if it has a meaning of its own. If it does, it is a compound word.
• You can check for compound words by identifying their types and categories, which are, closed, open and hyphenated.

Also Read: How to Identify Articles in English