Compound Words: Definition, Types & Uses

Language is a dynamic and ever-changing thing, shaped by the imagination and intelligence of its speakers. The usage of compound words is one of the most intriguing aspects of language formation. These linguistic wonders are created by combining two or more words to produce a new, often subtle meaning. While compound words are a part of everyday conversation, deciding whether to use spaces, hyphens, or neither can be complicated.

In this blog, we will delve into the details of compound words, looking at their structure, importance, and function in improving our communication.

What is a Compound Word?

Compound words are composed of two or more words that work together. They can be almost any part of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and even prepositions like inside, outside, within, and without.

Compound words have separate meanings that differ from the meanings of the individual words they are composed of. For example, the compound word grandparent is formed by combining the distinct words grand and parent. While grandparents and parents are similar, they are not identical—and not all grandparents are grand!

Compound words are frequently mistaken for blended words, also known as portmanteaus, but the two are fundamentally different. Each word in a compound term remains the same. However, with portmanteaus, or mixed words, just portions of each word are utilized. For example, the term internet is a portmanteau of the words interconnected and network. If it were a compound term, it would be something like an interconnected network, with both words intact and uncut.

Types of Compound Words

There are three types of compound words in grammar, determined by how the words are separated.

• Open compound words: spaces between the words
• Closed compound words: no spaces between the words
• Hyphenated compound words: hyphens between the words

The various kinds of compound words simply impact the spellings of the words, not how they are used or pronounced. Still, understanding these variances is crucial because you must use proper spelling while writing. Let’s take a look at each group individually and go over a special compound word list for each.

Open Compound Words

Open compound words contain spaces between the words, making them difficult to identify. Regardless of how they seem, open compound words always behave as single words. They always appear together in the same order, and each has its own distinct significance.

Open compound words are usually nouns, which are used in the same way as conventional nouns. If you want to pluralize an open compound term, you normally simply pluralize the last word in the group, not the entire group.

Incorrect: Mia got sick from eating ten hots dogs.

Correct: Mia got sick from eating ten hot dogs.

Phrasal verbs are open compound words that function as verbs. Phrasal verbs have their own set of rules, but in general, just one of the words in the group gets conjugated while the others remain unchanged.

Incorrect : He found outed too late.

Incorrect : He find outed too late.

Correct : He found out too late.

However, be aware that open compound words may require a hyphen if they are employed in a different part of speech. For example, when used as a noun, the compound phrase test drive is open; when used as a verb, it is hyphenated as test-drive.

Test drives are important. I always test-drive a new car before purchasing.

Examples of Open Compound Words

• black eye
• cell phone
• close call
• common sense
• cotton candy
• dining room
• first aid
• full moon
• French fry
• heart attack

Closed Compound Words

Closed compound words are easier to remember and use than open compound words. There are no spaces between the words, so closed compound words both look and act like individual words.

Closed compound words occur in almost every part of speech. Closed compound words include adverbs like occasionally and anyday, as well as the prepositions inside, outside, within, and without. Even the word cannot, which is a contraction of the phrase “can not,” is a closed compound word.

Examples of Closed Compound Words

• airport
• anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody
• anyone, everyone, someone (but not no one), anything, everything, nothing, something
• anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere
• babysit
• background
• barefoot
• baseball, basketball, football, etc.
• bathroom
• bedroom

Hyphenated Compound Words

Last are hyphenated compound words, which have hyphens between them. These can be difficult to spell if you’re not sure if there’s a hyphen or a space, so start with a compound word list and work your way up to learning each individual spelling. Otherwise, you can quickly seek out the right spelling using a spell checker.

When hyphenated compound words are nouns, make sure to pluralize the appropriate portion. Unlike open compound terms, you do not necessarily pluralize the group’s final word. For example, with the hyphenated compound term mother-in-law, you pluralize mother rather than law.

Incorrect: Some spouses don’t like their mother-in-laws, but I get along with mine.

Correct: Some spouses don’t like their mothers-in-law, but I get along with mine.

However, each hyphenated compound word is different, and sometimes the s comes at the end. For example, the plural of merry-go-round is merry-go-rounds.

The merry-go-rounds are my favorite part of any amusement park.

As an adjective, a hyphenated compound word acts the same as a hyphen with compound modifiers.

The twenty-year-old students tried a long-distance relationship.

Examples of Hyphenated Compound Words

• check-in
• clean-cut
• editor-in-chief
• empty-handed
• far-fetched
• father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law,etc.
• free-for-all
• know-how
• know-it-all
• life-size

Compound Word Formation

As we have just covered, compound words are created by joining two words, particularly two components of speech. We’ll examine a few instances of compound words by combining different aspects of speech.

Noun + Noun

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining two nouns.

• Bedroom
• Music band
• Water tank
• Starfish
• Sunflower
• Girlfriend
• Police woman
• Football

Noun + Verb

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a noun and a verb.

• Firefly
• Rainfall
• Sunset
• Photoshoot
• Sunrise
• Raindrop
• Haircut
• Snowfall

Verb + Noun

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a verb and a noun.

• Swim suit
• Typewriter
• Postman
• Post office
• Notebook
• Breakfast
• Proofread
• Babysit

Verb + Preposition

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a verb and a preposition.

• Takeaway
• Shutdown
• Drawback
• Checkin
• Checkout
• Lookout
• Takedown
• Breakup

Preposition + Verb

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a preposition and a verb.

• Intake
• Outdo
• Input
• Output
• Overthrow
• Understand
• Underestimate
• Overlay

Noun + Adjective

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a noun and an adjective.

• Housefull
• Heartbroken
• Spoonful
• Wireless
• Lifelong
• Snow white
• Sky blue
• Worldwide

Adjective + Noun

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining an adjective and a noun.

• Greenhouse
• Blackboard
• Full-time
• Superhero
• Hot dog
• Blacksmith
• Long-term
• Last minute

Gerund + Noun

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a gerund and a noun.

• Washing machine
• Dining room
• Swimming pool
• Driving licence
• Breaking point
• Melting point
• Living room
• Working day

Noun + Gerund

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a noun and a gerund.

• Sightseeing
• Mind-blowing
• Nerve-wrecking
• Nail-biting
• Brainstorming
• Mindmapping
• Air conditioning
• Time-consuming
• Bird watching

Preposition + Noun

Here is a list of compound words formed by combining a preposition and a noun.

• Underworld
• Overview
• Undergraduate
• Oversight
• Bystander
• Afterlife
• Background
• Forehead
• Upstairs

List of Commonly-Used Compound Words in English

Following is a list of some of the most often used compound terms in the English language.

Compound Words
Blackboard	South-west	North-east	Indo-European	Afro-American
First aid	Bedroom	Bathroom	Washing machine	Vending machine
Living room	Swimming pool	Drawing room	Copyright	Typewriter
Managing director	Day-to-day	Blood pressure	Cold blooded	Eye opener
Microorganism	Cupboard	Footnote	Locksmith	Blacksmith
Goldsmith	Giveaway	In-depth	Breakup	Breakdown
Blowout	Housefull	Showdown	Long term	Sunflower
Dilly dally	Postman	Post office	Breakfast	Notebook
Superhero	Hot dog	Full moon	Merry-go-round	Grandfather
Mother-in-law	Father-in-law	Sister-in-law	Brother-in-law	Granddaughter
Grandson	Grandchild	Good-hearted	Last minute	Real estate
Mind-blowing	Far-fetched	Warmup	Firefly	Butterfly
Grasshopper	Blueberry	Strawberry	Half-baked	Raincoat
All-nighter	Know-it-all	Smartphone	Starfish	Runway
Toothbrush	Time table	Hopscotch	Uptown	Eyeball
Keyboard	Cupcake	Homework	Underground	Popcorn
Daydream	Nightmare	Midnight	Downstairs	Upstairs
Parking lot	Worksheet	Snow white	Keypoint	Handout
Raindrop	Hometown	Extracurricular	Network	French fries
Brainstorm	Teaspoon	Table spoon	Handbag	Earthworm
Greenhouse	Milkshake	Farewell	Showoff	Newsletter
Subway	Pathway	Deadend	Homemade	Handmade
Peanut	Jellybean	Afternoon	Namesake	Foolproof
Waterproof	Soundproof	Policeman	Scarecrow	Passport
Forearm	Eyebrow	Nose ring	Earring	Staircase

Things to Keep in Mind When Forming Compound Words

Have you ever attempted to combine two or more terms with entirely distinct meanings? If you do, you’ll discover that certain intriguing pairings function, have meanings distinct from their separate ones, and add a great deal of energy and vibrancy to your language. You should be aware of something right now. To create a new term, you cannot simply mix any two words together. Make sure to create and employ complex terms correctly. When creating and utilising compound terms, keep the following few things in mind.

• One can categorise compound terms as either transient or permanent. Words that are already part of the language are considered permanent compounds, while words created specifically to meet the needs of the writer or speaker are known as temporary compounds. Words like “red-headed,” “left-handed,” “bright-eyed,” and so on are examples of permanent compound words that are already part of the English language, whereas words like “grandmother,” “blackboard,” “first aid,” and so on are examples of words that can be produced to fit the needs of language users.
• Here’s something to keep in mind to help you a little. Compound adjectives are expressed as hyphenated compound words, compound verbs as open compound words, and compound nouns as closed compound words in most circumstances. But this isn’t always the case and it’s not a rule.
• In terms of hyphenated compound words, they are only considered hyphenated when they come before the noun they modify.

In conclusion, compound words are a testament to the dynamic nature of language, embodying the creativity and adaptability of human expression. From closed compounds to open compounds and hyphenated compounds, the structural diversity of these linguistic marvels enables speakers to convey complex ideas with efficiency and precision. Compound words play a crucial role in shaping our communication, offering a rich tapestry of meanings that go beyond the boundaries of individual words.

Compound Words- FAQs

What is a compound of a word?

Compound words are separate words (or phrases that function as independent words) composed of two or more words that work together. They can be almost any part of speech, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and even prepositions like inside, outside, within, and without.

What is the rule for compound words?

An open compound term contains gaps between the words (for example, “high school”). A hyphenated compound word contains hyphens between the words (for example, “sister-in-law”). A closed compound word is written without spaces or punctuation (for example, “cheesecake”).

Is Butterfly a compound word?

Yes, “butterfly” is a compound word consisting of the words “butter” and “fly.” It’s a closed compound word since the two words work together without a space to convey the noun’s appropriate meaning.