Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences
Compound Words and Wordiness
Today, words with prefixes and suffixes, with a few exceptions, are spelled solid whether they are nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. Among the most common prefixes and suffixes are anti (antiwar), bi (bilingual), co (coauthor), counter (counterclockwise), extra (extrasensory), inter (internecine), intra (intramural), mid (midlevel), mini (minivan), multi (multimedia), neo (neorealism), non (nonbeliever), over (override), post (postwar), pre (prefabricated), pseudo (pseudoscientific), re (reexamine), semi (semiconductor), sub (substandard), trans (transatlantic), un (unexamined), and under (undervalued).
You can make exceptions to this trend. Check a dictionary first, and, if the word is not there, it is customary to use a hyphen in these situations.
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The second element is capitalized: anti-British, mid-Victorian ( BUT transatlantic).
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There might be confusion with another word: recover vs. re-cover.
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The second element consists of more than one word: non-church-attending.
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The prefix ends with the same letter that begins the root word: anti-intellectual (but reenter, reexamine).
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The combination creates an odd or confusing form that could be misread ( pro-life vs. prolife).
