Compound Words: Words Hiding in Plain Sight
How English joins small words into longer ones, and how knowing them helps in word puzzles.
A compound word is made by joining two or more words. They are everywhere, and they are useful in word searches.
Examples
| Compound | Made from |
|---|---|
| SUNFLOWER | SUN + FLOWER |
| RAINBOW | RAIN + BOW |
| FOOTBALL | FOOT + BALL |
| BOOKSHELF | BOOK + SHELF |
| NOTEBOOK | NOTE + BOOK |
| TOOTHBRUSH | TOOTH + BRUSH |
| SUNSET | SUN + SET |
| MOONLIGHT | MOON + LIGHT |
Three types
- Closed: written as one word: SUNFLOWER
- Hyphenated: joined with a hyphen: MOTHER-IN-LAW
- Open: written as two words: ICE CREAM
Spelling can vary, and dictionaries do not always agree.
Using compounds in puzzles
When you search for a long compound word, you can look for one part first:
- For RAINBOW, find RAIN, then check if BOW follows.
- For FOOTBALL, find BALL, then look backwards for FOOT.
Hidden words
Long words often contain small words inside:
- PLANET contains PLAN and LANE
- STARTLE contains START and ART
- BREAKFAST contains BREAK and FAST
Noticing them is a fun side game.
Learning
If you know the parts, you can guess the meaning of many compounds. This helps learners of English.
Word play
Try making your own list of compound words that start with the same word, such as SUN: SUNSET, SUNRISE, SUNSHINE, SUNBURN.
Tips
- Break long words into parts.
- Search for the easier part first.
- Enjoy spotting hidden words.
Relax with an endless word search in Crossword - Word Search Game →
Crossword - Word Search Game
A relaxing, endless word search puzzle game
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