AVOIDING AMBIGUITY A further use of the hyphen is to make a clear difference between words or expressions that might otherwise be confused. This use is concerned with meaning rather than with mechanics and technical rules. By using the hyphen in this way, writers can preserve distinction in meaning that might otherwise be lost.   WORD LEVEL On the level of individual words, hyphens can be used to avoid confusion between words which would otherwise have the same spelling, but completely different meanings. This phenomenon occurs most frequently with words beginning with “re”. Where prefixed words would be identical to words where the “re” is an integral part of the word, the prefixed version is hyphenated in order to avoid confusion.   HYPHENATED NOT HYPHENATED re-form (to form again) reform (to restructure) re-cover (to cover again) recover (to get better after an illness) re-sent (sent again) resent (to feel bitter about something) re-press (to iron again) repress (to hold down) re-sign (to sign again) resign (to hand in one’s notice)   COMPOUND NOUNS AND COMPOUND ADJECTIVES Texts which include compound adjectives and compound nouns can sometimes suggest ambiguous meanings. When either a noun or the adjective which modifies it is a compound, it may not always be clear which words belong to the noun and which belong to the adjective. In cases like these, hyphens can be very helpful for maintaining clarity. foreign-sales secretary (the secretary takes care of sales to foreign countries) foreign sales secretary (the secretary who takes care of sales is foreign) small-business entrepreneurs (the businesses are small) small business entrepreneurs (the entrepreneurs are small) extra-curricular activity (student activities in addition to their actual coursework) extra curricular activity (further coursework tasks for students)

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