To Hyphenate or Not to Hyphenate?

When our two daughters, Maria and Katrina, were about nine and seven years old, they took gymnastics classes at a studio about 20 minutes from our home. As we drove to that studio each week, we passed a large, metal building with a sign out front that read “Hot Tub Factory.” As we passed the sign, I always asked the girls the same question: “Is that a ‘Hot, Tub Factory?’ or is it a ‘Hot-Tub Factory?’”

Initially, the girls showed some interest in the distinction between the two options, but after a while, they tired of my question and simply said, “Whatever.” As a writing instructor, however, I am always evaluating not only the way in which people arrange words but also how they punctuate those words. In this case, the answer to my question centered on whether that sign needed a comma or a hyphen.

A hyphen is a short horizontal line that is located on the top row of the keyboard between the zero and the equal sign. Most people use the hyphen without even thinking when they write words such as “fifty-one” or “mother-in-law.” Generally, you need to hyphenate all the numbers from “twenty-one” to “ninety-nine” and all fractions such as “one-fourth” or “two-thirds.” Similarly, some words such as “good-bye, vice-president, and merry-go-round” always require a hyphen, and you should check your dictionary if you’re unsure whether a hyphen is needed.