You've seen it, that little line in between two words, like “low-key” or “step-mother.” Maybe you've spotted it at the end of a line in a book, splitting up another word. What does – mean in writing anyway?

Well, first of all, you should know that it's called a hyphen, and let me tell you, it's one useful little piece of punctuation. 

In this article, we're going to look at how the – works in your writing, from the uses of hyphens to the differences between hyphens and our other favorite dashes. Finally, we'll show you our favorite, top 100 words with hyphens. Ready to get started?

Types of Dashes in Writing: What Makes the – Special

It wasn't until after I became a professional writer that I learned there are not one, not two, but three types of dashes used in writing. Here's a quick definition of each type of dash, plus how to create one.

Hyphen Definition

A hyphen is a short horizontal line (-) used in writing to connect words, prefixes, or syllables, usually for the sake of clarity or to create compound words.

To create a hyphen: just press the standard dash on your keyboard. Easy!

En Dash Definition

An en dash (–) is a punctuation mark that's longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash. It's used primarily to indicate ranges of numbers, like “pages 10–20,” or to link related items, like “the New York–London flight.” It's also sometimes used to replace “to” or “and” between words.

Here's how to create an en dash:

• On a Mac, press Option + Hyphen (Option + -)
• On a PC, hold down the Alt key and type 0150 on the numeric keypad (make sure Num Lock is on)
• On iOS, hold down the hyphen key, and the en dash will pop up as an option
• (Or just copy and paste it!)

Em Dash Definition (My favorite kind of dash!)

An em dash (—) is a longer dash used to set off a word or clause and can replace commas, semicolons, or colons for emphasis. It's often used to show a break in a sentence or an interruption.

Here's how to create an em dash:

• On a Mac, press Shift + Option + Hyphen (Shift + Option + -)
• On a PC, press Alt + 0151 (make sure Num Lock is on and use the numeric keypad)
• On iOS, hold down the hyphen key, and the em dash will pop up as an option
• (Or, again, just copy and paste it!)

There, that wasn't so hard, right? Now that you know about all the different kinds of dashes, let's talk more about how the hyphen is used in writing.

7 Uses of Hyphens

Hyphens have a lot of uses in writing. Let's go over each with examples:

1. Hyphens Connect Compound Numbers.

The most common mistake with hyphen use that I've encountered happens when talking about ages.

Example: Francie is twenty-six years old. She is a twenty-six-year-old woman.

Congratulations, you no longer have any excuse to make that mistake again. Exceptions start when you get into the larger numbers.

Example: Jim's house is one hundred years old. Jim has a one hundred-year-old house.

The one and hundred are never hyphenated.

2. Hyphens Connect Compound Adjectives

As a writer, sometimes you need to describe a character or a scenario, but the words at your disposal just aren't enough. Maybe your protagonist goes through an awkward moment, but the word awkward by itself doesn't fully reflect the depth of the discomfort your characters are feeling. You're feeling ballsy now that you've mastered the semicolon, and you decide that you're going to create your own adjective.

No, I am not suggesting that you try to create your own words. You're not Shakespeare  What I am suggesting is that you make use of the em dash‘s more common cousin, the hyphen.

Hyphens are great for situations where you need to enhance adjectives. For example, look at the difference between these two sentences.

“Oh, she's your wife,” Sheila said as the awkwardness in the room approached its peak.

“Oh, she's your wife,” Sheila said as the awkwardness in the room reached near-Himalayan heights.

In the first sentence, we know that the situation is uncomfortable. 

In the second sentence above, near-Himalayan has to be hyphenated.

Here's why: if you don't hyphenate those adjectives, then all of the adjectives are modifying the noun. So if you didn't hyphenate above, then you would have awkwardness that reaches “near heights” and “Himalayan heights.” That doesn't really make sense.

The hyphen tells the reader that the near is modifying the partner adjective Himalayan, and not the heights.

3. Hyphens Connect Compound Words

Hyphens can join two or more separate words into one compound word.

For example, it's not “mother in law.” It's “mother-in-law.”

Same with “state-of-the-art,” one of my favorite four-word compound words. Great right?

4. After Some Prefixes

Prefixes, like “pre-” and “un-” and “anti-“, are added to the beginning of words to alter their meanings, and in some cases they use hyphens to add clarity.

A good example is “re-sign,” which means to sign again, and “resign,” which means “to quit.” 

Most prefixes in English don't require hyphens because they've been used for decades or even centuries and gradually people stopped adding the hyphens. But there are some words with prefixes that still require hyphens, usually for one of the following reasons:

1. If they're confusing because either they're confusing, repeat 
2. If they repeat a letter
3. If they're unfamiliar
4. Just because

Yes, sometimes we have to use hyphens for no obvious reason. The English language is weird. Sorry about that!

5. To Hyphenate a Name

Some spouses choose to hyphenate their last names when they get married, like Gordon-Levitt or Newton-John. It's one way people choose to show that they've created a new family. 

Other people have hyphenated first names, like Jean-Paul Sartre or Carrie-Anne Moss or even Mary-Kate Olsen.

6. To Break Words at the End of Lines

If you run out of space at the end of a line, you can use a hyphen to break a word and continue it on the next line. 

Today, this is usually done automatically when you use the “hyphenation” formatting option, and it's especially done on text that has been justified, like in books. This helps keep the spacing even.

7. Words with Single Letters

Finally, when you have words that spell out individual letters, like “X-ray” or “C-section,” you usually use a hyphen.

100 Words With Hyphens: Hyphen Examples

Now, what are some examples of hyphenated words, so you can see them in action. Let's look at our all-time, desert-island, top 100 words with hyphens:

1. Brand-new
2. Mother-in-law
3. Well-known
4. Up-to-date
5. Self-esteem
6. High-quality
7. State-of-the-art
8. Father-in-law
9. Eye-catching
10. In-depth
11. Top-notch
12. Long-term
13. Short-term
14. Second-hand
15. Part-time
16. Full-time
17. Co-worker
18. Old-fashioned
19. One-third
20. Twenty-one
21. Hand-me-down
22. Editor-in-chief
23. Vice-president
24. Low-key
25. All-inclusive
26. Run-of-the-mill
27. User-friendly
28. Down-to-earth
29. Cold-blooded
30. Run-down
31. Built-in
32. Self-defense
33. Mass-produced
34. Half-baked
35. Time-consuming
36. All-around
37. Far-reaching
38. Close-knit
39. Last-minute
40. Light-headed
41. In-laws
42. Self-control
43. Matter-of-fact
44. Well-off
45. Get-together
46. High-end
47. Free-for-all
48. High-tech
49. Non-profit
50. Brother-in-law
51. Self-aware
52. Well-being
53. Short-lived
54. Deep-rooted
55. Middle-class
56. Self-help
57. Out-of-date
58. Sister-in-law
59. Tug-of-war
60. One-sided
61. On-going
62. Double-check
63. Time-sensitive
64. Fast-paced
65. Quick-witted
66. Mouth-watering
67. Year-round
68. Wide-ranging
69. Two-thirds
70. Right-hand
71. Tight-knit
72. Cut-and-dry
73. World-class
74. One-time
75. Ever-changing
76. Six-pack
77. Check-in
78. Long-lasting
79. Old-timer
80. Good-looking
81. Life-changing
82. Hard-to-find
83. Out-of-the-way
84. Take-out
85. Warm-hearted
86. Top-of-the-line
87. Open-minded
88. Four-wheel-drive
89. Ground-breaking
90. Self-contained
91. Far-fetched
92. Step-by-step
93. Well-to-do
94. Ill-advised
95. Hard-working
96. Second-rate
97. Loud-mouthed
98. Tight-fisted
99. Well-read
100. Over-the-top

What's your favorite hyphenated word? Let us know in the comments!