Compounding
Compounding is the word formation process in which two or more lexemes combine into a
single new word. Compound words may be written as one word or as two words joined with a
hyphen. For example:
noun-noun compound: note + book → notebook
adjective-noun compound: blue + berry → blueberry
verb-noun compound: work + room → workroom
noun-verb compound: breast + feed → breastfeed
verb-verb compound: stir + fry → stir-fry
adjective-verb compound: high + light → highlight
verb-preposition compound: break + up → breakup
preposition-verb compound: out + run → outrun
adjective-adjective compound: bitter + sweet → bittersweet
preposition-preposition compound: in + to → into
Compounds may be compositional, meaning that the meaning of the new word is determined by
combining the meanings of the parts, or noncompositional, meaning that the meaning of the new
word cannot be determined by combining the meanings of the parts. For example, a
blueberry is a berry that is blue. However, a breakup is not a relationship that was severed into
pieces in an upward direction.
Compound nouns should not be confused with nouns modified by adjectives, verbs, and other
nouns. For example, the adjective black of the noun phrase black bird is different from the
adjective black of the compound noun blackbird in that black of black bird functions as a noun
phrase modifier while the black of blackbird is an inseparable part of the noun: a black bird also
refers to any bird that is black in color while a blackbird is a specific type of bird.
Clipping
Clipping is the word formation process in which a word is reduced or shortened without
changing the meaning of the word. Clipping differs from back-formation in that the new word
retains the meaning of the original word. For example:
advertisement – ad
alligator – gator
examination – exam
gasoline – gas
gymnasium – gym
influenza – flu
laboratory – lab
mathematics – math
memorandum – memo
photograph – photo
public house – pub
raccoon – coon
reputation – rep
situation comedy – sitcom
telephone – phone
The four types of clipping are back clipping, fore-clipping, middle clipping, and complex
clipping. Back clipping is removing the end of a word as in gas from gasoline. Fore-clipping is
removing the beginning of a word as in gator from alligator. Middle clipping is retaining only
the middle of a word as in flu from influenza. Complex clipping is removing multiple parts from
multiple words as in sitcom from situation comedy.
Blending
Blending is the word formation process in which parts of two or more words combine to create a
new word whose meaning is often a combination of the original words. For example:
advertisement + entertainment → advertainment
biographical + picture → biopic
breakfast + lunch → brunch
chuckle + snort → chortle
cybernetic + organism → cyborg
guess + estimate → guesstimate
hazardous + material → hazmat
motor + hotel → motel
prim + sissy → prissy
simultaneous + broadcast → simulcast
smoke + fog → smog
Spanish + English → Spanglish
spoon + fork → spork
telephone + marathon → telethon
web + seminar → webinar
Blended words are also referred to as portmanteaus.
Printable Downloads
For more complete lists of English words formed through compounding, clipping, and blending,
please download the following free printable vocabulary lists:
Acronyms
Acronyms are words formed by the word formation process in which an initialism is pronounced
as a word. For example, HIV is an initialism for Human Immunodeficiency Virus that is spoken
as the three letters H-I-V. However, AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome that is spoken as the word aids. Other examples of acronyms in English include:
ASAP – as soon as possible
AWOL – absent without leave
laser - light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASDAQ - National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
PIN – personal identification number
radar - radio detection and ranging
scuba - self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
TESOL – Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
WASP – White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
Acronyms are related to the word formation process of abbreviation.
