The English language has a variety of words that denote a single concept and those words are called compound words. Compound words are made by connecting two or more words. These words are commonly used in day-to-day communication. However, it can be challenging to know when to use these words and how they are differentiated. So, to learn how to use these words, read this write-up, which will cover the definition of compound words, different types, and the list of compound words. So, let's begin without wasting a second.
What Is a Compound Word?
As you read above, compound words are made by joining two or more words together. These words can be used in primary types of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. However, compound words have different meanings from the words they are made of. For instance, the word step-father is made from the individual word step and father. However, the fundamental definition of the words step and father is different. In English, there are three types of compound words, and each type has diverse characteristics. So, let's move on and discuss the distinct types of these words.
There are three different types of compound words in English:
Open Compound Words: Spaces between the words. For example: Ice cream
Closed Compound Words: There is no space between words. For example, Firefighter
Hyphenated Words: In this type, you use a hyphen between the words. For example, step-by-step
Open Compound Words
Open words have spaces in between words.
It is challenging to identify this type of compound word because of the spaces in between.
Both the words always appear with each other, but each has a different meaning rem
Although both words have different, meanings, they act like single words.
Pro tip: These words are common nouns, so if you want to pluralize them, you should always pluralize the final word in the duo.
For example: I bought 2 Ices creams for you. X
I bought 2 ice creams for you. ✓
Phrasal Verb Uses: Using these words in verbs has some distinct rules. Generally, you conjugate only one word of the group, while others are untouched.
For example, He founded out too late. ✗
He found out too late ✓
In some cases, you have to hyphenate an open compound word if used as a different type of speech.
Closed Compound Words
Closed compound words have no space between the joined words
They act and look like individual words because of no space between them.
Closed compound words are used in every part of speech.
It is easy to pluralize words because you only have to pluralize in the end.
For example, Sometimes, everyone, desktop, and more.
Some adverbs like sometimes or everywhere are closed compound words, and prepositions like inside, outside, and without are also closed compound words.
Hyphenated Compound Words
As you can guess from the name, these words have a hyphen between the words they include.
The rule to pluralize hyphenated words is different from open compound words.
In hyphenated words, you always do not pluralize the final words. For instance, father-in-law is the word you have to pluralize, so you will pluralize the first word. Thus, it will be the fathers-in-law.
However, there can be exceptions in some cases, so you have to study the rules of pluralizing compound words.
Difference Between Compound Words Vs Another Types Of Words
There are many ways to join a word apart from just using compounding. So, it can be confusing to identify a compound word from these other types of joined words. However, do not worry! In this section, we are going to discuss how compound words differ from the other types of joined words :
Portmanteaus
Contractions
Acronyms
Portmanteaus
It is also called blending of words, it is done by blending two words. It is different from compound words because at least one of the words used to make it is not used in its complete form: some are letters removed from the word, or their position is changed.
For instance, Smoke+Fog=Smog
Contractions
Contraction means shortening of existing words. In contraction, the excluded letters are usually marked by an apostrophe. In some cases, a single word with some letters is contracted, but commonly, two or more words are combined. For instance, It's time to leave, let's go!
Acronyms
The acronym is a way to shorten a series of words into one unit. You make a short form of a long word by reducing each word to its first letter.
In the below list, we will see different compound words from all three distinct types. So, let's begin:
Open Compound Words
Closed Compound Words
Hyphenated Compound Words
black eye
heart attack
prime minister
slam dunk
cell phone
high school
real estate
sleeping bag
close call
hot dog
remote control
time capsule
common sense
ice cream
report card
vacuum cleaner
cotton candy
life jacket
rib cage
vending machine
dining room
living room
role model
video game
first aid
no one
roller coaster
waiting room
full moon
peanut butter
salad dressing
washing machine
French fry
post office
search engine
web page
black eye
heart attack
prime minister
slam dunk
cell phone
high school
real estate
sleeping bag
close call
hot dog
remote control
time capsule
common sense
ice cream
report card
vacuum cleaner
basketball
forever
none
toothbrush
bathroom
football
nonetheless
turntable
bedroom
gentleman
notebook
undercover
blackberry
grapefruit
nowhere
upstream
blueberry
granddaughter
outside
waterfall
breakfast
grandfather
payday
watermelon
cannot
grandmother
rainbow
weekend
checkout
grasshopper
raincoat
within
cowboy
handshake
skateboard
without
daylight
headquarters
smartphone
zookeeper
anybody
desktop
inside
snowball
anything
everything
keyboard
somebody
anywhere
everywhere
lipstick
someone
editor-in-chief
life-size one-sided
toss-up
empty-handed
long-distance
over-the-counter
two-dimensional
eye-opener
long-term
part-time
up-to-date
far-fetched
merry-go-round
runner-up
well-being
father-in-law
mind-blowing
run-in
word-of-mouth
free-for-all
mother-in-law
sister-in-law
world-class
check-in
know-how
nitty-gritty
strong-arm
clean-cut
know-it-all
one-dimensional
topsy-turvy
editor-in-chief
life-size
one-sided
toss-up
empty-handed
long-distance
over-the-counter
two-dimensional
So, the above list of 100+ compound words consists of all three types of compound words. Hopefully, by the above-defined characteristics, you have understood when to use the right words and how to pluralize them. However, if you still have any issues, you can seek online assignment help from experts.
Pluralizing Compound Words
Pluralizing a noun that is made up of multiple words can be a challenging task. Thus, here are a few rules that you can use:
Closed Compound Words: In this type of compound word, it is easier to pluralize because you always have to pluralize the end word. For example, backpacks, desktops
Open and Hyphenated Compound Words: In both types, the rule varies according to the situation. Sometimes, the final word is pluralized ( e.g., mothers-in-law, attorneys general). In some cases, the last word is pluralized (e.g., merry-go-rounds). Thus, to figure out which word to pluralize, you will have to figure out by looking at the compound. However, we understand that it can be challenging to apply this logic in every situation. So, if in doubt, you can always seek help from our experts at Global Assignment Help Australia. Wondering how? Read the next section for a clear understanding.
Seek Guidance From The Experts for Academic Excellence
So, this was your go-to guide for understanding the meaning of compound words, their types, and a list of compound words. However, if you still have any doubts related to compound words, no need to worry! We have assignment experts who can guide you with any academic write-up. Moreover, we have academic assistance tools such asfree grammar checker, plagiarism, and more to ensure quality documents. Apart from these tools, we also guarantee academic perks such as:
On-Time Delivery
Plagiarism Free Content
AI Free Content
Free revisions
With our 24/7 customer assistance, you can reach us at any hour with queries related to any educational task. Thus, contact us now and get help from the best assignment experts in Australia.
The English language has a variety of words that denote a single concept and those words are called compound words. Compound words are made by connecting two or more words. These words are commonly used in day-to-day communication. However, it can be challenging to know when to use these words and how they are differentiated. So, to learn how to use these words, read this write-up, which will cover the definition of compound words, different types, and the list of compound words. So, let's begin without wasting a second.
What Is a Compound Word?
As you read above, compound words are made by joining two or more words together. These words can be used in primary types of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. However, compound words have different meanings from the words they are made of. For instance, the word step-father is made from the individual word step and father. However, the fundamental definition of the words step and father is different. In English, there are three types of compound words, and each type has diverse characteristics. So, let's move on and discuss the distinct types of these words.
There are three different types of compound words in English:
Open Compound Words: Spaces between the words. For example: Ice cream
Closed Compound Words: There is no space between words. For example, Firefighter
Hyphenated Words: In this type, you use a hyphen between the words. For example, step-by-step
Open Compound Words
Open words have spaces in between words.
It is challenging to identify this type of compound word because of the spaces in between.
Both the words always appear with each other, but each has a different meaning rem
Although both words have different, meanings, they act like single words.
Pro tip: These words are common nouns, so if you want to pluralize them, you should always pluralize the final word in the duo.
For example: I bought 2 Ices creams for you. X
I bought 2 ice creams for you. ✓
Phrasal Verb Uses: Using these words in verbs has some distinct rules. Generally, you conjugate only one word of the group, while others are untouched.
For example, He founded out too late. ✗
He found out too late ✓
In some cases, you have to hyphenate an open compound word if used as a different type of speech.
Closed Compound Words
Closed compound words have no space between the joined words
They act and look like individual words because of no space between them.
Closed compound words are used in every part of speech.
It is easy to pluralize words because you only have to pluralize in the end.
For example, Sometimes, everyone, desktop, and more.
Some adverbs like sometimes or everywhere are closed compound words, and prepositions like inside, outside, and without are also closed compound words.
Hyphenated Compound Words
As you can guess from the name, these words have a hyphen between the words they include.
The rule to pluralize hyphenated words is different from open compound words.
In hyphenated words, you always do not pluralize the final words. For instance, father-in-law is the word you have to pluralize, so you will pluralize the first word. Thus, it will be the fathers-in-law.
However, there can be exceptions in some cases, so you have to study the rules of pluralizing compound words.
Difference Between Compound Words Vs Another Types Of Words
There are many ways to join a word apart from just using compounding. So, it can be confusing to identify a compound word from these other types of joined words. However, do not worry! In this section, we are going to discuss how compound words differ from the other types of joined words :
Portmanteaus
Contractions
Acronyms
Portmanteaus
It is also called blending of words, it is done by blending two words. It is different from compound words because at least one of the words used to make it is not used in its complete form: some are letters removed from the word, or their position is changed.
For instance, Smoke+Fog=Smog
Contractions
Contraction means shortening of existing words. In contraction, the excluded letters are usually marked by an apostrophe. In some cases, a single word with some letters is contracted, but commonly, two or more words are combined. For instance, It's time to leave, let's go!
Acronyms
The acronym is a way to shorten a series of words into one unit. You make a short form of a long word by reducing each word to its first letter.
In the below list, we will see different compound words from all three distinct types. So, let's begin:
Open Compound Words
Closed Compound Words
Hyphenated Compound Words
black eye
heart attack
prime minister
slam dunk
cell phone
high school
real estate
sleeping bag
close call
hot dog
remote control
time capsule
common sense
ice cream
report card
vacuum cleaner
cotton candy
life jacket
rib cage
vending machine
dining room
living room
role model
video game
first aid
no one
roller coaster
waiting room
full moon
peanut butter
salad dressing
washing machine
French fry
post office
search engine
web page
black eye
heart attack
prime minister
slam dunk
cell phone
high school
real estate
sleeping bag
close call
hot dog
remote control
time capsule
common sense
ice cream
report card
vacuum cleaner
basketball
forever
none
toothbrush
bathroom
football
nonetheless
turntable
bedroom
gentleman
notebook
undercover
blackberry
grapefruit
nowhere
upstream
blueberry
granddaughter
outside
waterfall
breakfast
grandfather
payday
watermelon
cannot
grandmother
rainbow
weekend
checkout
grasshopper
raincoat
within
cowboy
handshake
skateboard
without
daylight
headquarters
smartphone
zookeeper
anybody
desktop
inside
snowball
anything
everything
keyboard
somebody
anywhere
everywhere
lipstick
someone
editor-in-chief
life-size one-sided
toss-up
empty-handed
long-distance
over-the-counter
two-dimensional
eye-opener
long-term
part-time
up-to-date
far-fetched
merry-go-round
runner-up
well-being
father-in-law
mind-blowing
run-in
word-of-mouth
free-for-all
mother-in-law
sister-in-law
world-class
check-in
know-how
nitty-gritty
strong-arm
clean-cut
know-it-all
one-dimensional
topsy-turvy
editor-in-chief
life-size
one-sided
toss-up
empty-handed
long-distance
over-the-counter
two-dimensional
So, the above list of 100+ compound words consists of all three types of compound words. Hopefully, by the above-defined characteristics, you have understood when to use the right words and how to pluralize them. However, if you still have any issues, you can seek online assignment help from experts.
Pluralizing Compound Words
Pluralizing a noun that is made up of multiple words can be a challenging task. Thus, here are a few rules that you can use:
Closed Compound Words: In this type of compound word, it is easier to pluralize because you always have to pluralize the end word. For example, backpacks, desktops
Open and Hyphenated Compound Words: In both types, the rule varies according to the situation. Sometimes, the final word is pluralized ( e.g., mothers-in-law, attorneys general). In some cases, the last word is pluralized (e.g., merry-go-rounds). Thus, to figure out which word to pluralize, you will have to figure out by looking at the compound. However, we understand that it can be challenging to apply this logic in every situation. So, if in doubt, you can always seek help from our experts at Global Assignment Help Australia. Wondering how? Read the next section for a clear understanding.
Seek Guidance From The Experts for Academic Excellence
So, this was your go-to guide for understanding the meaning of compound words, their types, and a list of compound words. However, if you still have any doubts related to compound words, no need to worry! We have assignment experts who can guide you with any academic write-up. Moreover, we have academic assistance tools such asfree grammar checker, plagiarism, and more to ensure quality documents. Apart from these tools, we also guarantee academic perks such as:
On-Time Delivery
Plagiarism Free Content
AI Free Content
Free revisions
With our 24/7 customer assistance, you can reach us at any hour with queries related to any educational task. Thus, contact us now and get help from the best assignment experts in Australia.
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