Hyphens in Compound Words
Is it "coffee-house," "coffee house," or "coffeehouse"?
While looking up how to write "coffeehouse," I encountered a common problem: different dictionaries handle compound words differently and formatting can change over time.
It appears that it used to be hyphenated ("coffee-house"), but now it's most commonly written as a closed compound ("coffeehouse"). At least one dictionary entry also shows the open compound ("coffee house") as an acceptable alternative.
I decided to go with "coffeehouse." If you're not sure whether a word is an open compound, closed compound, or hyphenated compound, the only thing you can do is pick a dictionary and go with its recommendation.
Related Articles
How to Use Hyphens
Hyphens and Ages
Does "E-Book" Have a Hyphen?
"E-mail" or "Email"?
Get more tips like this in The Grammar Devotional:
Print: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s
E-book: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iBook
