halve is a transitive verb, so deficits can double but not halve. They must be halved or fall by half.
haver means to talk nonsense, not dither, swither or waver.
health care The American system of health care (adjective, health-care) for the poor is Medicaid, and for the elderly is Medicare. Canada’s national health-care system is also called Medicare.
healthy If you think something is desirable or good, say so. Do not call it healthy.
heresy see apostasy.
heteronym see homograph, homophone.
historic, historical Historic is best reserved for objects, events, eras and so on that may come to be considered notable in history (a judgment, incidentally, often made swiftly and implausibly by journalists). Historical should be used to mean relating to history, associated with it or derived from it.
hoards, hordes Few secreted treasures or stashes of things like food and money being kept to guard against privation (hoards) are multitudes on the move (hordes).
Hobson’s choice is not the lesser of two evils; it is no choice at all.
holistic properly refers to a theory developed by Jan Smuts, who argued that, through creative evolution, nature tended to form wholes greater than the sum of the parts. If this is not what you mean by holistic, you would probably be wise to avoid it.
homeland Although it is now used as a synonym for the United States’ domestic territory, your homeland is your native land, your motherland or even your fatherland.
homogeneous, homogenous Homogeneous means of the same kind or nature. Homogenous means similar because of common descent. The word you will almost always want to use is homogeneous.
homograph, homophone Homographs are words with the same spelling but different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. If they are spelt and pronounced the same they are also homonyms: bear (animal), bear (carry); like (similar), like (be fond of); stalk (part of a plant), stalk (to follow someone or something). If they are spelt the same but pronounced differently they are also heteronyms: content (happy), content (subject matter); entrance (way in), entrance (charm); rebel (to resist or fight against authority), rebel (someone who rebels).
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same regardless of how they are spelt and their meaning: baited (food put on a hook or trap), bated (diminished, restrained); birth (the process of bearing children); berth (somewhere to sleep in a ship, train etc); heroin (a Class A drug), heroine (a courageous woman).
homonym see above.
homosexual see gender.
hopefully Some authorities say it is pedantic and outmoded to object to the use of hopefully to mean it is hoped that. The practice originated in America, where English has been much influenced by German immigrants, who found the language of their new country had only one adverb to serve for both hoffnungsvoll, meaning full of hope, and hoffentlich, which can mean let’s hope so. In The Economist, however, by all means begin an article hopefully, but do not write: Hopefully, it will be finished by Wednesday. Try with luck, if all goes well, it is hoped that…
horrible words Nothing betrays the lazy writer faster than fly-blown and horrible words used in the belief that they are snappy, trendy or cool. If you find yourself using any of the following vogue words, you should stop and ask yourself whether it is the best word for the job, whether you would have used it in the same context five or ten years ago, and if not why not:
address meaning answer, deal with, attend to, look at
Brits
chattering classes
commit to (meaning commit yourself to)
facilitate
famously: usually redundant, nearly always irritating
focus: all the world’s a stage, not a lens
grow the business
guesstimate
historic: let historians, not contemporary commentators, be the judge
iconic
impact (meaning affect)
individual: fine as an adjective and occasionally as a noun, but increasingly favoured by the wooden-tongued as a longer synonym for man, woman or person
inform, when used as a pretentious alternative to influence
innovative
kids
likely (meaning probably, rather than probable)
looking to (meaning intending to)
meaningful
metrosexual
paradigm
participate in – use take part in, with more words but fewer syllables
poster child
prestigious
proactive
process – a word properly applied to attempts to bring about peace, because they are meant to be evolutionary, but now often used in place of talks
reductive
relationship – relations can nearly always do the job
reputational
resources, especially human resources, which may be personnel, staff or just people
savvy
segue
showcase (meaning display)
source (meaning obtain)
supportive – helpful?
target – if you are tempted to target your efforts, try to direct them instead
transparency – openness?
wannabes
Such words should not be banned, but if you find yourself using them only because you hear others using them, not because they are the most appropriate ones in the context, you should avoid them.
See also euphemisms, grammar (turning nouns to verbs), journalese and slang.
hyphens There is no firm rule to help you decide which words are run together, hyphenated or left separate. If in doubt, consult a dictionary. Do not overdo the literary device of hyphenating words that are not usually linked: the stringing-together-of-lots-and-lots-of-words-and-ideas tendency can be tiresome.
1 Words with common or short prefixes
In general, try to avoid putting hyphens into words formed of one word and a short prefix.
3D
asexual
biplane
declassify
disenfranchise
geopolitical
neoclassicism
neoconservative but neo-cons
neoliberal
Neolithic
neologism
neonatal
overdone
overeducated
overemployment
precondition
predate
preoccupied
preordained
prepay
realign
rearm
rearrange
reborn
redirect
reopen
reorder
repurchase
subcommittee
subcontinent
subcontract
subhuman
submachinegun
suboptimal
subprime
tetravalent
underdog
underdone
underinvest
underpaid
upended
2 Words beginning with re-
Some words that begin with re are hyphenated to avoid confusion:
re-cast
re-create (meaning create again)
re-present (meaning present again)
re-sort (meaning sort again)
re-use
3 Unfamiliar combinations
Words making unfamiliar combinations, especially if they
would involve running consonants or vowels together, may benefit from a hyphen, so:
cross-reference (a cross reference would be unpleasant)
demi-paradise
over-governed
sub-investment grade
under-age
under-secretary
Antidisestablishmentarianism would, however, lose its point if it were hyphenated.
4 Fractions
Whether nouns or adjectives, these take hyphens:
| one-half | one-sixth |
| four-fifths | two-thirds |
But note that it is a half, a fifth, a sixth.
5 Use hyphens for words that begin with
agri
anti
counter
extra
half
infra
inter
mid
multi
non
post
pre
semi
ultra
The rules vary:
anti-aircraft, anti-fascist, anti-submarine (but antibiotic, anticlimax, antidote, antimatter, antiseptic, antitrust)
counter-attack, counter-clockwise, counter-espionage, counter-intuitive (but counteract, countermand, counterpane)
extraordinary, extraterrestrial, extraterritorial (but extra-judicial)
half-baked, half-hearted, half-serious (but halfway)
hydropower, but hydro-electric
inter-agency, inter-country, inter-faith, inter-governmental, inter-regional (but intermediate, international, interpose)
mid-August, mid-week
multibillion, multilingual, multiracial (but multi-occupancy, multi-storey, multi-user)
non-combatant, non-existent, non-partisan, non-payment, non-violent (but nonaligned, nonconformist, nonplussed, nonstop)
postdate, post-war, pre-war
semi-automatic, semi-conscious, semi-detached
6 The word worth
A sum followed by the word worth needs a hyphen:
$25m-worth of goods.
attorney-general (US)
director-general
field-marshal
lieutenant-colonel
major-general
secretary-general
under-secretary
vice-president
But:
attorney general (UK)
deputy director
deputy secretary
district attorney
general secretary
8 Avoiding ambiguities
fine-tooth comb (most people do not comb their teeth)
| third-world war | third world war |
| cross complaint | cross-complaint |
| high-school results | high school results |
9 Aircraft
| DC-10 | MiG-23 |
| Mirage F-1E | Lockheed P-3 Orion |
(If in doubt, consult Jane’s “All the World’s Aircraft”.)
Note that Airbus A340, BAe RJ70 do not have hyphens.
10 Calibres
The style for calibres is 50mm or 105mm with no hyphen, but 5.5-inch and 25-pounder.
11 Adjectives formed from two or more words
70-year-old judge
balance-of-payments difficulties
private-sector wages
public-sector borrowing requirement
right-wing groups (but the right wing of the party)
state-of-the-union message
value-added tax (VAT)
12 Adverbs
Adverbs do not need to be linked to participles or adjectives by hyphens in simple constructions:
The regiment was ill equipped for its task.
The principle is well established.
Though expensively educated, the journalist knew no grammar.
But if the adverb is one of two words together being used adjectivally, a hyphen may be needed:
The ill-equipped regiment was soon repulsed.
All well-established principles should be periodically challenged.
The hyphen is especially likely to be needed if the adverb is short and common, such as ill, little, much and well. Less common adverbs, including all those that end -ly, are less likely to need hyphens:
Never employ an expensively educated journalist.
13 Separating identical letters
book-keeping
coat-tails
co-operate
pre-eminent
pre-empt
re-emerge
re-entry
side-effect
trans-ship
unco-operative
Exceptions include:
overrate
overreach
override
overrule
overrun
skiing
underrate
withhold
14 Some nouns formed from prepositional verbs
bail-out
build-up
buy-out
call-up
get-together
lay-off
pay-off
print-out
pull-out
rip-off
round-up
run-up
set-up
shake-out
shake-up
stand-off
start-up
trade-off
But:
fallout
handout
knockout
lockout
payout
turnout
15 The quarters of the compass
mid-west(ern)
north-east(ern)
north-west(ern)
south-east(ern)
south-west(ern)
16 Hybrid ethnics
Greek-Cypriot, Irish-American, etc, whether noun or adjective.
17 Makers and making
A general, though not iron, rule for makers and making: if the prefix is of one or two syllables, attach it without a hyphen to form a single word, but if the prefix is of three or more syllables, introduce a hyphen. antimacassar-maker clockmaker steelmaker bookmaker holiday-maker tiramisu-maker candlestick-maker lawmaker troublemaker carmaker marketmaker chipmaker peacemaker
Policymaker and profitmaking are one word and an exception.
But: note foreign-policy maker (-ing).
18 Other words ending -er (-ing) that are similar to maker and making
The general rule should be to insert a hyphen:
arms-trader
copper-miner
drug-dealer
drug-trafficker
field-worker
front-runner
gun-runner
home-owner
hostage-taker
mill-owner
truck-driver
vegetable-grower
But some prefixes, especially those of one syllable, can be used to form single words.
coalminer
farmworker
foxhunter
gatekeeper
householder
landowner
metalworker
muckraker
nitpicker (-ing)
peacekeeper
shipbroker
shipbuilder
shipowner
steelworker
steeplechaser
taxpayer
Less common combinations are better written as two words:
currency trader
dog owner
gun owner
insurance broker
tuba player
19 Quotes
Words gathered together in quotation marks as adjectives do not usually need hyphens as well: the “Live Free or Die” state.
20 One word
airfield
airspace
airtime
babysitter
backyard
banknote
barcode
bedfellow
bestseller (-ing)
bilingual
blackboard
blacklist
blackout
blueprint
bookseller
businessman
bypass
carjacking
carpetbagger
cashflow (but cash flow in accountancy)
catchphrase
ceasefire
checklist
cloudcuckooland
coastguard
codebreaker
comeback
commonsense (adj)
crossfire
cyberspace
dealmaker
diehard
dotcom
downturn (noun)
farmworker
faultline
figleaf
fivefold
foothold
forever (adv, when preceding verb)
foxhunter (-ing)
freshwater (adj.)
frontline (adj, but noun front line)
girlfriend
Gmail
goodwill
grassroots (adj and noun)
groundsman
groupthink
halfhearted
halfway
handpicked
handwriting
hardline
hardworking
headache
hijack
hobnob
holdout
housebuilding
infrared
kowtow
lacklustre
landmine
laptop
logjam
loophole
lopsided
lukewarm
machinegun
marketplace
minefield
multilingual
nationwide
nevertheless
nonetheless
offline
offshore
oilfield
oilrig
oneupmanship
online
onshore
petrochemical
petrodollars
phrasebook
pickup truck
prizewinner (-ing)
rainforest
ringtone
roadblock
rulebook
rustbelt
salesforce
satnav
scaremonger
seabed
shantytown
shorthand
shortlist
shutdown
sidestep
smartphone, smartcard, etc
socioeconomic
soulmate
soyabean
spillover
startup
statewide
stockmarket
streetlight
streetwalker
strongman
sunbelt
superdelegates (US)
swansong
takeover
textbook
threefold
threshold
timetable
trademark
transatlantic
transpacific
troublemaker
turnout
twofold
ultraviolet
underdog
videocassette
videodisc
wartime
watchdog
website
whistleblower
wildflower (adj, but noun wild flower)
windfall
workforce
worldwide
worthwhile
wrongdoing
21 Two words
3D printer
ad hoc
air base
air force
air strike
all right
any more
any time
arm’s length
ballot box
birth rate
call centre
career woman
child care (noun)
cluster bombs
common sense (noun)
dare say
data set
errand boy
flood plain
for ever (when used after a verb)
health care (noun)
hedge fund
home page
home town
joint venture
Land Rover
no one
pay cheque
plea bargain
salt water (noun)
sea water (noun)
some day
some time
sugar cane
under way
vice versa
wild flowers (but adj. wildflower)
wind power (but windpowered)
22 Two hyphenated words
aid-worker
air-conditioning (do not use A/C)
aircraft-carrier
anti-retroviral
asylum-seekers
baby-boomer
back-up
bail-out (n)
balance-sheet
bell-ringer
brand-new
break-even
break-up (n)
buy-out (n)
call-up (n)
clearing-house
climb-down
come-uppance
counter-attack
court-martial (noun and verb)
cover-up
cross-border
cross-dresser
cross-sell
crowd-funding
current-account deficit
death-squads
derring-do
down-payment
drawing-board
drunk- (not drink)
driving
end-game
end-year
faint-hearted
field-worker
fund-raiser (-ing)
grand-daughter
grown-up
hand-held
have-not (n)
health-care (adj)
heir-apparent
hit-list
home-made
hot-head
ice-cream
in-fighting
interest-group
kerb-crawler
know-how
laughing-stock
like-minded
long-standing (adj)
machine-tool
mark-up
mid-term, mid-week, etc
money-laundering
nation-building
nation-state
nest-egg
new-found
news-stand
non-partisan
number-plate
on-side
pay-off (n)
place-name
pre-school (but prefer nursery)
pressure-group
pre-teen
print-out
question-mark
rain-check
recreate
safety-valve
set-up (n)
shake-out (n)
short-lived
stand-off (n)
starting-point
sticking-point
stumbling-block
subject-matter
suicide-bomb (-er, -ing)
talking-shop
task-force
tear-gas
tech-speak
think-tank
time-bomb
turning-point
under-age
voice-mail
voice-over
vote-winner
war-chest
well-being
Wi-Fi
Wi-Max
window-dressing
wish-list
witch-hunt
working-party
world-view
write-down (noun)
23 Three words
ad hoc agreement (meeting, etc)
armoured personnel carrier
chief(s) of staff
consumer price index
foreign direct investment
half a dozen
in as much
in so far
multiple rocket launcher
national security adviser
nuclear power station
sovereign wealth fund
third world war (if things get bad)
world wide web
24 Three hyphenated words
A-turned-B (unless this leads to something unwieldy, so jobbing churchwarden turned captain of industry)
brother-in-law
chock-a-block
commander-in-chief
most-favoured-nation (adj)
multiple-rocket-launcher
no-man’s-land
prisoners-of-war
second-in-command
stock-in-trade
track-and-field
25 Numbers
Avoid from 1947–50 (say in 1947–50 or from 1947 to 1950) and between 1961–65 (say in 1961–65, between 1961 and 1965 or from 1961 to 1965). See also figures.
“If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.” (Oxford University Press style manual)
hypothermia is what kills old folk in winter. If you say it is hyperthermia, that means they have been carried off by heat stroke.