This post discusses the three types of compounds in English: compound nouns, compound modifiers, and compound verbs.
Compound Nouns Compound nouns come in three forms: closed, hyphenated, and open. They are formed by pairing multiple combinations of parts of speech, such as two nouns (workshop), a preposition and a noun (overlord), and a verb and an adverb (smackdown). Open compound nouns, which tend to be newer formations such as “life span” and “working class,” may consist of more than two words; these phrases are often adopted foreign terms such as “persona non grata” and “tour de force,” although phrases can also be compiled by combining two words into an open compound and then combining that set phrase with another, as when science and fiction team up and then unite with writer.
Hyphenation is usually a transitional phase between open and closed forms, but some words get stuck in this intermediary form; examples include by-product, light-year, life-form, and mind-set. Writers often style the these words as closed compounds, however, indicating that the closed forms may ultimately prevail. Hyphenated compound nouns that are likely to remain transitional include self-respect and well-being, although these, too, are sometimes erroneously treated as closed compounds.
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