Freestanding common phrases that are also often employed as phrasal adjectives and thus frequently seen with hyphens are often mistakenly hyphenated; the first three words in this sentence, however, require hyphens only if they collectively modify a noun (“behind-the-scenes plotting”): “Behind the scenes, he repeatedly ...
Should I hyphenate two words?
Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they're describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out. This wall is load bearing. It's impossible to eat this cake because it is rock hard.
Where is a hyphen appropriate?
The Hyphen
- Use a hyphen at the end of a line to divide a word where there is not enough space for the whole word. ...
- Use a hyphen to indicate a word spelled out letter by letter. ...
- Use a hyphen to join two or more words to form compound adjectives that precede a noun. ...
- Use a hyphen to avoid awkward doubling of vowels.
