Compound Nouns in English: Your Ultimate Guide with Examples

Compound nouns are everywhere in English—from everyday objects (toothbrush) to job titles (editor-in-chief). Mastering them will boost your vocabulary and grammar skills. Let’s break them down!

What Are Compound Nouns in English?

Compound nouns are nouns made up of two or more words that together create a new meaning. These combinations act as a single noun unit. For example:

• toothbrush (tooth + brush)
• mother-in-law (mother + in + law)
• post office (post + office)

These new nouns can describe people, places, objects, ideas, or actions.

How to Form Compound Nouns in English

Compound nouns are typically formed by joining different parts of speech. Here are the most common patterns:

They combine different parts of speech. Common patterns:

Types of Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are written in three different ways:

1. Closed (Solid) Form: written as one word
   • notebook, sunflower, toothpaste
2. Hyphenated Form: words are joined by a hyphen
   • sister-in-law, passer-by, check-in
3. Open (Spaced) Form: written as separate words but understood as one noun
   • high school, post office, swimming pool

Compound Nouns Rules: Pronunciation and Pluralization

1. Pronunciation

The main stress in compound nouns usually falls on the first word.

• GREENhouse (a structure for plants)
• green HOUSE (a house painted green)

This difference in stress can change the meaning of a phrase.

2. Pluralization

In compound nouns, the word that carries the main meaning—the core noun—is the one that gets pluralized, not the entire expression.

Examples:

• Mother-in-law: “mother” is the main noun, so the plural is mothers-in-law, not mother-in-laws.
• Passerby: “passer” is the noun, so it becomes passersby, not passerbys.
• Bookshelf: “shelf” is the core noun, so the plural is bookshelves.

Compound Nouns vs. Compound Adjectives

It is important to distinguish compound nouns from compound adjectives.

1. Compound Noun:

A compound noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.

• Examples: classroom, haircut, football

2. Compound Adjective:

A compound adjective modifies a noun and often includes a hyphen.

• Examples: crystal-clear water, well-known author

Key difference: Compound nouns are nouns. They refer to a thing, person, place, or idea. Compound adjectives describe nouns.

Compound Nouns vs. Portmanteau Words

Portmanteau and compound nouns are also frequently confused.

• A compound noun joins whole words to create a new meaning (e.g., swimming pool = a pool for swimming).
• A portmanteau blends parts of two words into one:
  • brunch = breakfast + lunch
  • smog = smoke + fog
  • motel = motor + hotel

Note: Portmanteaus are not compound nouns—they’re more like word fusions.

Compound Nouns: Example sentences

Here are 10 example sentences with compound nouns. Each example shows a different type (closed, open, or hyphenated):

1. Toothpaste – I ran out of toothpaste this morning.
2. Sunflower – A tall sunflower grew in our garden.
3. High school – She teaches math at the local high school.
4. Washing machine – The washing machine broke, so we had to hand-wash clothes.
5. Raincoat – Don’t forget your raincoat—it’s pouring outside!
6. Bus stop – We’ll meet at the bus stop near the park.
7. Firefighter – The firefighter rescued the cat from the tree.
8. Airport – The airport was crowded with holiday travelers.
9. Breakfast – Coffee and toast are my favorite breakfast.
10. Headphones – He always wears headphones on the train.

Common Compound Nouns List with Meanings

Compound nouns are frequently used in English! Here’s a categorized list of frequently used ones with their meanings:

Everyday Objects

• Toothpaste – A gel/paste used for cleaning teeth.
• Notebook – A book with blank pages for writing notes.
• Raincoat – A waterproof coat worn in the rain.
• Bookshelf – A shelf for storing books.
• Eyeglasses – Frames with lenses to correct vision.

Places & Buildings

• Post office – A place where mail is processed.
• Bus stop – A designated place where buses pick up passengers.
• Airport – A place where airplanes take off and land.
• Greenhouse – A glass building for growing plants.
• Shopping mall – A large building with multiple stores.

People & Relationships

• Mother-in-law – The mother of one’s spouse.
• Firefighter – A person who extinguishes fires.
• Passerby – Someone who walks past a place.
• Editor-in-chief – The top editor in a publication.
• Baby-sitter – A person who cares for children temporarily.

Food & Drinks

• Pancake – A flat, round cake made from batter.
• Milkshake – A sweet, cold drink made with milk and flavoring.
• Sunflower seeds – Edible seeds from sunflowers.
• Ice cream – A frozen sweet dessert.
• Peanut butter – A spread made from ground peanuts.

Technology & Tools

• Smartphone – A mobile phone with advanced computing ability.
• Headphones – A pair of speakers worn over the ears.
• Washing machine – A machine that washes clothes.
• Screwdriver – A tool for turning screws.
• Flashlight – A portable electric light.

Nature & Science

• Rainfall – The amount of rain that falls in a period.
• Black hole – A region in space with intense gravity.
• Moonlight – Light from the moon.
• Earthquake – A sudden shaking of the ground.
• Wildlife – Animals living in nature.

Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge!

FAQs About Compound Nouns in English

More about Compound Nouns in English!

Key Takeaways

Here’s what to remember from this guide:

• What They Are: Two or more words combined to create a new noun (toothbrush, post office, sister-in-law).
• There are 3 Types:
  • Closed (one word): notebook
  • Hyphenated: mother-in-law
  • Open (spaced): swimming pool
• Must-Know Rules
  • Pluralize the main word: mothers-in-law (not mother-in-laws)
  • First word gets stress: GREENhouse vs. green HOUSE (different meanings!)
  • Watch hyphens: check-in (noun) vs. check in (verb)
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
  • passerbys → passersby
  • editor-in-chiefs → editors-in-chief