Compound Words
A compound word is where two or more root words are merged into a new and different word. There are three different kinds of compounds: open, closed, and hyphenated compound words.
What Are Compound Words?
Compound Words are two or more words that have been grouped together to create a new word that has a different, individual meaning. There are three different kinds of compound words: closed compound words, open compound words, and hyphenated compound words.
1. Closed Compound Words
Closed compound words are formed when two fully independent, unique words are combined to create a new word. For example, you would combine “grand” and “father” to create the closed-form word “grandfather”. These are the most common types of compound words.
For example:
- Waistcoat
- sometimes
- Railroad
- bullfrog
- Breakfast
- Sunflower
- Mailbox
- grandmother
- skateboard
- everything
- schoolhouse
2. Open Compound Words
Open compound words remain separate when written but are used together to create a new idea. For example, “Cream” and “cheese” are unrelated to each other. But when you combine them and use them as one word, you will have “Cream cheese,” which is already a different noun with its own meaning.
For example:
- Tea cup
- Serving spoon
- Real estate
- Car pool
- Cotton bud
- Upper deck
- Hand towel
- Sweet tooth
- Police officer
- Vice president
3. Hyphenated Compound Words
Hyphenated compound words are formed when two separate words are joined together by a hyphen or dash. A common example is “mother-in-law.”
For example:
- Mother-in-law
- Merry-go-round
- Happy-go-lucky
- Long-term
- High-speed
- Left-handed
- Long-haired
- Sun-dried
- Breath-taking
List of Compound Words
Open Compound Words
| Apple pie | Ask around |
| Ask out | Break away |
| Break up | Bus stop |
| Candy cane | Car pool |
| Cell membrane | Christmas tree |
| Coffee grain | Coffee mug |
| Coffee shop | Common sense |
| Corn dog | Corned beef |
| Cotton ball | Cotton bud |
| Cream cheese | Credit card |
| Dance hall | Debit card |
| Fill in | Fill out |
| Fill up | Fire drill |
| Fire drill | Fire exit |
| First aid | Full moon |
| Hand towel | High school |
| Hot dog | Ice cream |
| Ice cream cake | Ice cube |
| Ice hockey | Ice skate |
| Jumping jack | Lift up |
| Living room | Make up |
| Police officer | Post office |
| Pull down | Push down |
| Radio wave | Real estate |
| Report card | Roller coaster |
| Root word | Rubber band |
| Science fiction | Serving spoon |
| Snack house | Sugar plum |
| Sweet tooth | Swimming pool |
| Table cloth | Take away |
| Take out | Tea cup |
| Turn in | Upper deck |
| Vice president | Video game |
| Web page |
Closed Compound Words
| Airbrush | Anyone |
| Anything | Armpit |
| Babysit | Backstroke |
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Bedroom | Birthday |
| Blackboard | Blueberry |
| Bookstore | Bowtie |
| Brainwash | Bushfire |
| Candlelight | Cheeseburger |
| Classmate | Crossover |
| Crossroad | Crosswalk |
| Cupcake | Everyone |
| Everything | Eyeball |
| Eyebrow | Eyelash |
| Fireman | Flashlight |
| Football | Freelance |
| Granddaughter | Grandfather |
| Grandmother | Grandson |
| Grasshopper | Hamburger |
| Highlight | Homesick |
| Horseshoe | Keyboard |
| Keyhole | Keystone |
| Lighthouse | Lipstick |
| Mailbox | Makeup |
| Moonlight | Necktie |
| Nightfall | Northeast |
| Northwest | Notebook |
| Notepad | Nutcracker |
| Overpass | Pineapple |
| Playground | Playmate |
| Popcorn | Pothole |
| Proofread | Rainbow |
| Raindrop | Rattlesnake |
| Riverbank | Sailboat |
| Sandwich | Schoolmate |
| Skateboard | Snowball |
| Southeast | Southwest |
| Springtime | Stoplight |
| Strawberry | Sunflower |
| Sunrise | Sunshine |
| Teamwork | Toothbrush |
| Toothpaste | Underdog |
| Uptown | Watermelon |
| Workplace | Worldwide |
| Wrongdoing |
Hyphenated Compound Words
| Blush-on | Breath-taking |
| Brother-in-law | Cold-blooded |
| Editor-in-chief | Far-flung |
| Father-in-law | Follow-up |
| Full-length | Get-together |
| Gift-wrap | Happy-go-lucky |
| High-rise | High-speed |
| Ice-cold | In-depth |
| King-size | Knee-length |
| Left-handed | Life-size |
| Long-haired | Long-term |
| Merry-go-round | Mother-in-law |
| Next-door | Off-site |
| One-sided | Over-the-counter |
| Part-time | Right-handed |
| Runner-up | Self-centered |
| Sergeant-at-arms | Short-tempered |
| Single-minded | Sister-in-law |
| State-of-the-art | Sugar-free |
| Sun-dried | Tip-off |
| Up-to-date | Warm-blooded |
| Well-being | Well-known |
| Well-off |
A Huge List of Compound Words
Following is a list of 1000 close compound words in English
| Aboveboard | Afterbirth |
| Afterburner | Afterglow |
| Afterimage | Afterlife |
| Aftermath | Afternoon |
| Airbrush | Aircraft |
| Airfield | Airlift |
| Airline | Airliner |
| Airmail | Airman |
| Airmen | Airplane |
| Airport | Airship |
| Airtime | Allover |
| Allspice | Alongside |
| Also | Another |
| Anybody | Anyhow |
| Anymore | Anyone |
| Anyplace | Anything |
| Anytime | Anyway |
| Anywhere | Armchair |
| Armpit | Around |
| Arrowhead | Ashtray |
| Authorship | Babysit |
| Babysitter | Backache |
| Backbite | Backbone |
| Backbreaker | Backdrop |
| Backfield | Backfire |
| Background | Backhand |
| Backlash | Backlog |
| Backpack | Backside |
| Backslap | Backslide |
| Backspace | Backspin |
| Backstage | Backstop |
| Backstretch | Backstroke |
| Backtrack | Backward |
| Ballpark | Ballroom |
| Bankbook | Bankroll |
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Beachcomb | Became |
| Because | Become |
| Bedbug | Bedclothes |
| Bedrock | Bedroll |
| Bedroom | Bellbottom |
| Bellboy | Bellhop |
| Below | Birthday |
| Blackball | Blackberries |
| Blackbird | Blackboard |
| Blackjack | Blacklist |
| Blackmail | Blackout |
| Blacksmith | Blacktop |
| Bluebell | Blueberry |
| Bluebird | Bluefish |
| Bluegrass | Blueprint |
| Boardwalk | Bodyguard |
| Bodywork | Boldface |
| Bookbinder | Bookcase |
| Bookend | Bookkeeper |
| Booklet | Bookmark |
| Bookmobile | Bookseller |
| Bookshelf | Bookstore |
| Bookworm | Bootstrap |
| Bowtie | Brainchild |
| Brainstorm | Brainwash |
| Bugspray | Bushfire |
| Buttercup | Butterfat |
| Butterfingers | Butterflies |
| Buttermilk | Butternut |
| Butterscotch | Bypass |
| Cabdriver | Cancan |
| Candid | Candlelight |
| Candlestick | Cannot |
| Cardboard | Cardsharp |
| Cardstock | Carefree |
| Caretaker | Careworn |
| Carfare | Cargo |
| Carhop | Carload |
| Carpetbagger | Carpool |
| Carport | Carrack |
| Carryall | Carsick |
| Cartwheel | Carwash |
| Cattail | Catwalk |
| Caveman | Centercut |
| Cheeseburger | Cheesecake |
| Classmate | Clockwise |
| Coffeemaker | Comeback |
| Comedown | Commonplace |
| Commonwealth | Cornball |
| Cornmeal | Cornstalk |
| Cornwall | Cottonmouth |
| Cottontail | Cottonwood |
| Countdown | Counterattack |
| Counterbalance | Counterclockwise |
| Counterintelligence | Countermeasure |
| Counteroffensive | Counterpane |
| Counterpart | Counterpoint |
| Counterpoise | Courthouse |
| Courtroom | Courtyard |
| Crewcut | Crossbow |
| Crossbreed | Crosscut |
| Crossover | Crossroad |
| Crosstown | Crosswalk |
| Crossword | Cupcake |
| Dairymaid | Daisywheel |
| Daybed | Daybook |
| Daybreak | Daydream |
| Daylight | Daytime |
| Deadend | Deadline |
| Dishcloth | Dishpan |
| Dishwasher | Dishwater |
| Diskdrive | Dogwood |
| Doorstop | Downbeat |
| Downunder | Drawbridge |
| Driveway | Duckbill |
| Duckpin | Earache |
| Eardrop | Eardrum |
| Earring | Earthbound |
| Earthquake | Earthward |
| Earthworm | Egghead |
| Eggshell | Elsewhere |
| Everyone | Everything |
| Eyeball | Eyeballs |
| Eyebrow | Eyecatching |
| Eye-catching | Eyeglasses |
| Eyelash | Eyelid |
| Eyesight | Eyewitness |
| Fatherland | Fatherless |
| Firearm | Fireball |
| Fireboat | Firebomb |
| Firebox | Firebreak |
| Firecracker | Firefighter |
| Fireflies | Firehouse |
| Fireman | Fireproof |
| Firewater | Fireworks |
| Fishbowl | Fisherman |
| Fisheye | Fishhook |
| Fishlike | Fishmonger |
| Fishnet | Fishpond |
| Fishtail | Flashlight |
| Football | Foothill |
| Foothold | Footlights |
| Footlocker | Footnote |
| Footpath | Footprints |
| Footrest | Forbearer |
| Forbid | Forearm |
| Forebear | Forecast |
| Forecastle | Foreclose |
| Foreclosure | Foredoom |
| Forefather | Forefinger |
| Forefront | Forehand |
| Forehead | Foreleg |
| Foreman | Foremost |
| Forepaws | Forerunner |
| Foresee | Foresight |
| Forestall | Forestland |
| Forever | Forget |
| Forgive | Forklift |
| Format | Fortnight |
| Freelance | Friendship |
| Fruitcup | Gearshift |
| Glassmaking | Goodbye |
| Goodnight | Grandaunt |
| Grandchild | Grandchildren |
| Granddaughter | Grandfather |
| Grandmaster | Grandmother |
| Grandnephew | Grandnieces |
| Grandparent | Grandson |
| Grandstand | Granduncle |
| Grasshopper | Graveyard |
| Gumball | Haircut |
| Hamburger | Hammerhead |
| Hamstring | Handball |
| Handbook | Handcuff |
| Handgun | Handmade |
| Handout | Headache |
| Headdress | Headhunter |
| Headlight | Headline |
| Headquarters | Hedgehop |
| Heirloom | Hellcat |
| Hellhole | Helpmate |
| Helpmeet | Hemstitch |
| Henceforth | Henchman |
| Henpeck | Hereabout |
| Hereafter | Hereby |
| Herein | Hereof |
| Hereupon | Herself |
| Highball | Highchair |
| Highland | Highlight |
| Highway | Himself |
| Homemade | Homesick |
| Hometown | Honeybee |
| Honeycomb | Honeydew |
| Honeymoon | Honeysuckle |
| Hookup | Hookworm |
| Horseback | Horsefly |
| Horsehair | Horseplay |
| Horsepower | Horseradish |
| Horseshoe | Houseboat |
| Housecoat | Household |
| Housekeeper | Housetop |
| Housewife | Housework |
| However | Ideal |
| Inchworm | Income |
| Indoors | Inflow |
| Infold | Infuse |
| Infusion | Inhale |
| Inkblot | Inkwell |
| Inland | Inmate |
| Inpatient | Inroad |
| Inset | Inside |
| Intake | Ironwork |
| Itself | Jackpot |
| Jackson | Jailbait |
| Jailbird | Jawbone |
| Jawbreaker | Jaywalk |
| Jellybean | Jellyfish |
| Jerkwater | Jerrybuild |
| Jetliner | Jetport |
| Jigsaw | Jimsonweed |
| Jitterbug | Jobholder |
| Johnnycake | Jumpshot |
| Keepsake | Keyboard |
| Keyhole | Keynote |
| Keypad | Keypunch |
| Keystone | Keystroke |
| Keyway | Keyword |
| Landmark | Landslide |
| Landward | Lapland |
| Lapwing | Larkspur |
| Laughingstock | Lawgiver |
| Lawmaker | Lawsuit |
| Layman | Layoff |
| Layout | Layover |
| Leapfrog | Lifeblood |
| Lifeboat | Lifeguard |
| Lifelike | Lifeline |
| Lifelong | Lifesaver |
| Lifetime | Lifework |
| Lighthouse | Limelight |
| Limestone | Lipstick |
| Longhand | Longhorn |
| Longhouse | Lukewarm |
| Mailbox | Mainland |
| Mainline | Mainspring |
| Mainstream | Makeup |
| Matchbox | Meadowland |
| Meantime | Meanwhile |
| Moonbeam | Moonlight |
| Moonlit | Moonscape |
| Moonshine | Moonstone |
| Moonstruck | Moonwalk |
| Moreover | Mothball |
| Motherhood | Motorcycle |
| Nearby | Necktie |
| Nevermore | Newborn |
| Newfound | Newsboy |
| Newsbreak | Newscast |
| Newscaster | Newsdealer |
| Newsletter | Newsman |
| Newsmen | Newspaper |
| Newsperson | Newsprint |
| Newsreel | Newsroom |
| Newsstand | Newsworthy |
| Nightfall | Nobody |
| Noisemaker | Northeast |
| Northwest | Notebook |
| Notepad | Noteworthy |
| Nowhere | Nursemaid |
| Nutcracker | Oneself |
| Onetime | Overabundance |
| Overboard | Overcoat |
| Overflow | Overland |
| Overpass | Overshoes |
| Pacemaker | Pancake |
| Parkway | Passbook |
| Passkey | Passover |
| Passport | Password |
| Pasteboard | Patchwork |
| Pathfinder | Pathway |
| Pawnbroker | Pawnshop |
| Paycheck | Payload |
| Paymaster | Payoff |
| Payroll | Peppermint |
| Pickup | Pineapple |
| Pinhole | Pinpoint |
| Pinstripe | Pinup |
| Pinwheel | Playback |
| Playboy | Playground |
| Playhouse | Playmate |
| Playthings | Ponytail |
| Popcorn | Postcard |
| Pothole | Proofread |
| Racquetball | Railroad |
| Railway | Rainbow |
| Raincheck | Raincoat |
| Raindrop | Rainfall |
| Rainmaker | Rainstorm |
| Rainwater | Ratline |
| Ratsbane | Rattlesnake |
| Rattletrap | Rawboned |
| Rawhide | Readywitted |
| Rearmost | Rearrange |
| Rearward | Redcap |
| Redcoat | Reddish |
| Redhead | Repairman |
| Riverbank | Riverbanks |
| Rubberband | Sailboat |
| Salesclerk | Sandbox |
| Sandlot | Sandstone |
| Sandwich | Saucepan |
| Scapegoat | Scarecrow |
| Schoolbook | Schoolboy |
| Schoolbus | Schoolhouse |
| Schoolmate | Schoolroom |
| Schoolwork | Seashore |
| Setback | Setoff |
| Shadyside | Sharecropper |
| Sharpshooter | Sheepskin |
| Shipbottom | Shipbuilder |
| Shipload | Shipwreck |
| Shipyard | Shoelace |
| Shoemaker | Shopkeeper |
| Shortbread | Shortcake |
| Shotgun | Showboat |
| Showoff | Showplace |
| Showroom | Sideburns |
| Sidecar | Sidekick |
| Sideshow | Sidewalk |
| Silversmith | Sisterhood |
| Sixfold | Skateboard |
| Skintight | Skylark |
| Skylight | Skyscraper |
| Slapstick | Slowdown |
| Slumlord | Snakeskin |
| Snowball | Snowbank |
| Snowbird | Snowdrift |
| Snowshoe | Snowshovel |
| Snowstorm | Soapstone |
| Softball | Software |
| Somebody | Someday |
| Somehow | Someone |
| Someplace | Something |
| Sometime | Sometimes |
| Someway | Somewhat |
| Somewhere | Soundproof |
| Southeast | Southwest |
| Soybean | Spacesuit |
| Spacewalk | Spearmint |
| Speedboat | Spillway |
| Spokesperson | Springtime |
| Stagehand | Standby |
| Standoff | Standout |
| Standpipe | Standpoint |
| Standstill | Starfish |
| Steamboat | Steamship |
| Stepson | Stickup |
| Stockroom | Stonewall |
| Stoplight | Stopwatch |
| Storerooms | Strawberry |
| Streetcar | Stronghold |
| Subway | Sunbaked |
| Sunbathe | Sunday |
| Sundial | Sundown |
| Sunfish | Sunflower |
| Sunglasses | Sunlit |
| Sunray | Sunrise |
| Sunroof | Sunshine |
| Suntan | Sunup |
| Supercargo | Supercharge |
| Supercool | Superego |
| Superfine | Supergiant |
| Superhero | Superhighways |
| Superhuman | Superimpose |
| Superman | Supermarket |
| Supermen | Supernatural |
| Superpower | Superscript |
| Supersensitive | Supersonic |
| Superstar | Superstrong |
| Superstructure | Supertanker |
| Superweapon | Superwoman |
| Sweetheart | Sweetmeat |
| Tablecloth | Tablespoon |
| Tabletop | Tableware |
| Tadpole | Tagalong |
| Tailbone | Tailcoat |
| Tailgate | Taillight |
| Taillike | Tailpiece |
| Tailspin | Takeoff |
| Takeout | Takeover |
| Talebearer | Taleteller |
| Tapeworm | Taproom |
| Taproot | Target |
| Taskmaster | Tattletale |
| Taxicab | Taxpayer |
| Teacup | Teammate |
| Teamwork | Teapot |
| Teardrop | Teaspoon |
| Teenager | Telltale |
| Tenderfoot | Tenderhearted |
| Tenderloin | Tenfold |
| Textbook | Themselves |
| Therefore | Throwaway |
| Throwback | Thunderbird |
| Thunderbolt | Thundershower |
| Thunderstorm | Timekeeper |
| Timepieces | Timesaving |
| Timeshare | Timetable |
| Today | Together |
| Toolbox | Toothbrush |
| Toothpaste | Toothpick |
| Touchdown | Township |
| Turnabout | Turnaround |
| Turnbuckle | Turncoat |
| Turndown | Turnkey |
| Turnoff | Turnover |
| Turntable | Typewriter |
| Underachieve | Underact |
| Underage | Underarm |
| Underbelly | Underbid |
| Undercharge | Underclothes |
| Undercover | Undercurrent |
| Undercut | Underdevelop |
| Underdog | Underesimate |
| Underestimate | Underexpose |
| Underfeed | Underfinance |
| Underfoot | Underfur |
| Undergarment | Undergird |
| Undergo | Undergraduate |
| Underground | Undergrowth |
| Underhand | Underhanded |
| Underlayer | Underlie |
| Upbeat | Upbringing |
| Upcoming | Update |
| Updraft | Upend |
| Upgrade | Upheaval |
| Upheld | Uphill |
| Uphold | Upkeep |
| Upland | Uplift |
| Uplink | Upload |
| Upmarket | Upon |
| Uppercase | Upperclassman |
| Uppercut | Uppermost |
| Upright | Uprising |
| Upriver | Uproar |
| Uproot | Upset |
| Upshot | Upside |
| Upstage | Upstairs |
| Upstanding | Upstart |
| Upstate | Upstream |
| Upsurge | Upswing |
| Uptake | Upthrust |
| Uptight | Uptime |
| Uptown | Upturn |
| Upward | Upwind |
| Waistband | Waistcoat |
| Waistline | Walkout |
| Walkways | Wallboard |
| Walleyed | Wallflower |
| Wallpaper | Wanderlust |
| Wardroom | Warehouse |
| Warfare | Warhead |
| Warlike | Warlord |
| Warmblooded | Warmhearted |
| Warmonger | Warpath |
| Warplanes | Warship |
| Wartime | Washboard |
| Washbowl | Washcloth |
| Washout | Washroom |
| Washstand | Washtub |
| Wastebasket | Wasteland |
| Wastepaper | Wastewater |
| Watchband | Watchcase |
| Watchdog | Watchmaker |
| Watchman | Watchtower |
| Watchword | Watercolor |
| Watercooler | Watercraft |
| Waterfall | Waterfowl |
| Waterfront | Waterline |
| Waterlog | Watermark |
| Watermelon | Waterpower |
| Waterproof | Waterscape |
| Watershead | Waterside |
| Waterspout | Watertight |
| Waterway | Waterwheel |
| Waterworks | Wavelength |
| Wavelike | Waxwork |
| Waybill | Wayfarer |
| Waylaid | Wayside |
| Wayward | Weathercock |
| Weatherman | Weatherproof |
| Weekday | Weekend |
| Weeknight | Whatever |
| Whatsoever | Wheelbarrow |
| Wheelbase | Wheelchair |
| Wheelhouse | Whitecap |
| Whitefish | Whitewall |
| Whitewash | Widespread |
| Wipeout | Without |
| Woodshop | Workplace |
| Worldwide | Wrongdoing |
