Compound Words - wordscoach.com

Compound Words | Types and List of 1000+ Compound Words in English

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
Closed Compound Words - wordscoach.com


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
Open Compound Words - wordscoach.com


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
Hyphenated Compound Words - wordscoach.com


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


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Compound WordsKey Words For Writing And Expressions

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