Hyphenating word division

   MT Reference Style Guide  >  Medical Transcription Grammar, Usage and Style  >  Punctuation  >  Hyphens  >  Hyphenating word division

Automatic hyphenation is a feature of many word processing programs. When it's turned on, the program uses the hyphens built into the words in the dictionary to determine where a hyphen can be inserted in a word at the end of a line. The electronic dictionary may not always agree with the authority accepted medical transcripts.

You may choose to turn on this feature but should check it to make sure word divisions follow guidelines. You may also turn it off and either manually hyphenate long words or choose not to hyphenate for word division.

Basic Rules

Divide words only between syllables. Consult a dictionary if you're not certain about syllabic division.
Do not divide one-syllable words. Even when ed is added to some words, they still remain one-syllable words and cannot be divided.

stressed
through
planned
spring
hour
rhythm
thoughts

Do not set off a one-letter syllable at the beginning or end of a word.

amaze (NOT: a-maze)
ideal (NOT: i-deal)
lucky (NOT: luck-y)
media (NOT: medi-a)
When typing a short hyphenated word such as e-mail, use a hard (nonbreaking) hyphen so the word will not divide after the single letter.

Do not divide a word unless you can leave a syllable of at least 3 characters (the last of which is the hyphen) on the upper line and you can carry a syllable of at least 3 characters (the last may be a punctuation mark) to the next line.

ad-mit
do-ing
de-ter
happi-ly. (without the punctuation would not be divided)
set-up, (without the punctuation would not be divided)

Whenever possible, avoid dividing any word with fewer than 6 characters.

Do not divide abbreviations and/or acronyms.

UNICEF
NASDAQ
cont.

An abbreviation or acronym that includes a hyphen can be divided at the natural hyphen; i.e., AFL-CIO.
Divided compound words between the words forming the compound.

eye-witness
photo-copy
trouble-shooting
socio-economic

Divide a hyphenated compound at the point of hyphenation.

self-treated
father-in-law
president-elect

Divide a word after, not within, a prefix.

Preferred Acceptable
intro-duce in-troduce
inter-national in-ternational
super-sonic su-personic
circum-cision cir-cumcision
ambi-dextrous am-bidextrous

Likewise, divide a word before a suffix, rather than within the suffix.

appli-cable (rather than: applica-ble)
comprehen-sible (rather than comprehensi-ble)

When possible, divide at the prefix or suffix point, rather than in the root.

pre-operative (rather than: preop-erative)

When a one-letter syllable occurs in the word, divide after that syllable.

pene-trate
reme-dies
simi-lar
nega-tive

• Do not divide words in more than two consecutive lines of text.
• Do not divide at the end of the first line or at the end of the last full line of a paragraph.
• Do not divide a word that will be continued on the next page (last line of text on a page).