Introduction
A compound noun is formed by combining two or more words to create a noun with its own distinct meaning, often different from the sum of its parts. Compound nouns can be written as one word, hyphenated, or two separate words.
| form | examples |
|---|---|
| one word | sunlight, bedroom, toothpaste, football, notebook, airport |
| hyphenated | mother-in-law, self-esteem, well-being, six-year-old |
| two words | car park, post office, swimming pool, bus stop, phone call |
Stress and Meaning
In compound nouns, stress usually falls on the first word. This distinguishes them from adjective + noun phrases, where stress falls on the noun. The stress difference changes the meaning entirely, but there are exceptions, such as apple PIE and town HALL, where the second word is stressed.
| compound noun (stress on 1st) | adjective + noun (stress on noun) | meaning difference |
|---|---|---|
| GREENhouse | green HOUSE | building for plants vs a house that is green |
| HOT dog | hot DOG | food vs a warm dog |
| BLACKbird | black BIRD | a specific species vs any bird that is black |
| DARKroom | dark ROOM | photography room vs any dark room |
Common Patterns
Compound nouns are built from a small set of word combinations:
| pattern | examples |
|---|---|
| noun + noun | football, bedroom, notebook, car park |
| adjective + noun | blackboard, software, greenhouse, highway |
| verb/gerund + noun | breakfast, playground, swimming pool |
| noun + verb | rainfall, sunrise, haircut, handshake |
| verb + preposition | takeoff, breakdown, checkout, drawback |
| preposition + noun | overcoat, underground, underdog |
Plurals of Compound Nouns
Compound nouns follow the same plural rule as any noun: add -s to the head noun, the most important word in the compound - which is not always the last word.
- mother-in-lawsmothers-in-law
- commander-in-chiefscommanders-in-chief
Practice
Which word means 'a building for growing plants', not 'a house painted green'?
What is the plural of 'editor-in-chief'?
'Breakfast' follows which compound pattern?
Which of these is written as two separate words?
Which compound noun is hyphenated?
Which follows a noun + verb pattern?
Which follows an adjective + noun pattern?
Which follows a verb + preposition pattern?
In compound nouns, where does the stress usually fall?
'HOT dog' vs 'hot DOG' - what's the difference?
Which is the correct plural of 'passer-by'?
Which is written as one word?
A room for developing photos is a ___.
Which word combines two nouns?
'Swimming pools, bus stops' - which word is the head noun that takes the plural -s?
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