Why You Should Never Hyphenate an ‘-ly’ Word
Compound modifiers add flair to writing. They combine two or more words that act as a single unit to describe or modify a noun, such as an open-minded person or a well-behaved dog. Playwright William Shakespeare coined many clever compound modifiers, including “lily-livered” (cowardly) and “clay-brained” (lacking intelligence). You might
notice that all of these word pairings have one thing in common: hyphens. When two (or more) modifiers are combined with a noun, those modifiers are hyphenated. But one major exception to this rule exists. Don’t hyphenate an adverb when it acts as a compound modifier. Many common compound modifiers...
