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.
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.
Kickstart Your Task NowThere 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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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!
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.
For instance, the WHO (World Health Organization)
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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 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.
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 as free grammar checker, plagiarism, and more to ensure quality documents. Apart from these tools, we also guarantee academic perks such as:
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