Form and use compound words
Key Notes :
A compound word is formed when two or more words are joined together to create a new word that has its own unique meaning. These words can be written in three ways:
- Closed: The words are joined together without any space (e.g., sunflower, baseball).
- Hyphenated: The words are joined together with a hyphen (e.g., well-being, self-esteem).
- Open: The words are separate but function as a single word (e.g., ice cream, living room).
Compound words act as a single word and are used like any other noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.
| Examples of Compound Words |
| Open Compound Words | Closed Compound Words |
| Post office High school Dining room Swimming pool Living room | Football Butterfly Rainbow Popcorn Bedroom |
| Examples of Compound Words |
- Self-esteem
- Well-known
- Mother-in-law
- Six-year-old
- Part-time
| Forming Compound Words |
You can create compound words by combining different parts of speech:
- Noun + Noun: Toothbrush, firefly
- Adjective + Noun: Blackboard, greenhouse
- Verb + Noun: Swimsuit, haircut
- Noun + Verb: Sun rise, snow fall
| Exercises |
Instructions: Combine the following words to form compound words. Write whether they are closed, open or hyphenated.
- Sun + flower = ______________
- Ice + cream = ______________
- Well + being = ______________
- Fire + fly = ______________
- Post + office = ______________
Instructions: Use the following compound words in a sentence.
- Rainbow
- Bedroom
- Football
| Summary |
In these notes, we learned about compound words. Remember that a compound word is made up of two or more words that join to create a new word with its own meaning. They can be closed, hyphenated, or open. Practice combining words and using compound words in your everyday writing and speaking.
Let’s practice!
