Except after the short prefixes co, de, pre, pro, and re , which are generally printed solid, a hyphen is used to avoid doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant . Print a hyphen between words, or abbreviations and words, combined to form a unit modifier immediately preceding the word modified. Restraint should be exercised in forming unnecessary combinations of words used in normal sequence. For example, atomic energy power and income tax form. Prefixes are letters added before a word's base to form another word.
Suffixes are letters added after a word's base to form another word.
Words ending in like are solid combining forms, but use a hyphen to avoid tripling a consonant, or when the first element of the compound is a proper name, or to avoid ambiguity. For example, carbon monoxide poisoning , methyl bromide solution , and stem rust control . Return to the Word of the Week Archive.