Missing hyphen in 'An American born scientist'

Hyphens join words that act together to modify a noun. Dropping them can change meaning or make writing look unpolished.

Below: the core rule, quick decisions, many copy-ready wrong/right pairs for work, school, and casual writing, rewrite templates, and a short proofreading checklist.

Quick answer: when to hyphenate compound adjectives

Hyphenate two or more words that jointly modify a noun when they appear immediately before that noun. Do not hyphenate adverbs ending in -ly with the following adjective, and usually omit the hyphen when the modifier follows the noun.

Before a noun → hyphenate: a five-year plan; an American-born scientist.
After a noun → usually no hyphen: the plan lasted five years; the scientist was born in America.
-ly adverbs → no hyphen: a highly regarded paper (not highly-regarded).

Core rule (short): compound adjectives before nouns need hyphens

If two or more words together describe a noun and appear before it, join them with a hyphen so they act as one modifier.

Yes: a long-term strategy, a user-friendly site, an American-born scientist.
No (after noun): the strategy is long term; the scientist was born in America.

Wrong: An American born scientist received the grant.
Right: An American-born scientist received the grant.

Hyphenation rules and quick decisions

Keep these fast checks in mind while editing.

Number + unit before a noun → hyphenate: five-year plan, 10-meter dash, two-credit course.
Adverbs ending in -ly → don't hyphenate: a highly regarded paper (not highly-regarded).
Proper nouns and place names used as modifiers → hyphenate: American-born, London-born.
Complex modifiers with internal punctuation sometimes use an en dash, but that's a style choice; when unsure, recast the sentence.

Work - Wrong: The team entered a 10 meter relay.
Work - Right: The team entered a 10-meter relay.
Work - Wrong: She is a newly promoted manager.
Work - Right: She is a newly promoted manager.

Spacing and punctuation: short rules

Hyphens attach directly to words with no spaces. If several hyphens would make a phrase hard to read, rewrite instead of stacking hyphens.

No spaces: user-friendly (not user - friendly).
If the modifier contains commas or becomes long, recast the sentence for clarity.

Work - Wrong: Use the user friendly, fast interface.
Work - Right: Use the user-friendly, fast interface.
School - Wrong: She brought her part time, long term notes.
School - Right: She brought her part-time, long-term notes.

The 'born' case and nationality/place adjectives

Phrases like American-born, London-born, or New York-born are hyphenated when they modify a noun directly. If birthplace is a separate fact, use a clause: "born in...".

Before noun → hyphenate: a London-born writer.
After noun → use a clause: The writer was born in London.

Work - Wrong: We hired an American born scientist for the team.
Work - Right: We hired an American-born scientist for the team.
Casual - Wrong: She's a New York born artist who exhibits widely.
Casual - Right: She's a New York-born artist who exhibits widely.
Usage: To emphasize birthplace as a fact, write "who was born in..." instead.

Examples you can copy: work, school, casual (paired wrong/right)

Use the corrected sentence as-is or adapt it for your context.

Work - Wrong: We're planning a long term project for Q3.
Work - Right: We're planning a long-term project for Q3.
Work - Wrong: A full time internship helps build experience.
Work - Right: A full-time internship helps build experience.
Work - Wrong: She hired a well known consultant.
Work - Right: She hired a well-known consultant.
School - Wrong: He's a high school student with honors.
School - Right: He's a high-school student with honors.
School - Wrong: A college educated applicant will be preferred.
School - Right: A college-educated applicant will be preferred.
School - Wrong: Enroll in a two credit course this term.
School - Right: Enroll in a two-credit course this term.
Casual - Wrong: I'm looking for a part time job on campus.
Casual - Right: I'm looking for a part-time job on campus.
Casual - Wrong: They launched a budget friendly app for students.
Casual - Right: They launched a budget-friendly app for students.
Casual - Wrong: Coffee shop sells specialty grade beans.
Casual - Right: Coffee shop sells specialty-grade beans.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct hyphenation clear.

More wrong/right pairs (edge cases and common mistakes)

Tricky spots include -ly adverbs, dashes for ranges, and compound nouns versus modifiers.

Wrong: She is a highly-experienced editor.
Right: She is a highly experienced editor.
Wrong: The 1999 - 2003 period was unstable.
Right: The 1999-2003 period was unstable.
Work - Wrong: This high tech solution reduced costs.
Work - Right: This high-tech solution reduced costs.
Wrong: They need a Chicago born artist for the mural.
Right: They need a Chicago-born artist for the mural.

Rewrite help: quick templates and copy-ready rewrites

Three quick strategies to fix or avoid hyphenation issues.

Add the hyphen when the compound appears before the noun: long-term plan.
Move the modifier after the noun with a clause: a scientist who was born in Canada.
Replace the phrase with a single adjective or concise noun phrase: an affordable app instead of a budget-friendly app.

Rewrite:
Wrong: A budget friendly app. →
Right: A budget-friendly app. OR: An affordable app.
Rewrite:
Wrong: An American born scientist. →
Right: An American-born scientist. OR: A scientist born in America.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The company created a long term, multi phase plan. →
Right: The company created a long-term, multi-phase plan. OR: The company created a multi-phase plan to be implemented over the long term.
Rewrite:
Wrong: A well known author visited. →
Right: A well-known author visited. OR: The author, who is well known, visited.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Enroll in a two credit, online course. →
Right: Enroll in a two-credit online course. OR: Enroll in an online course worth two credits.

Memory tricks and a one-line proofreading checklist

Quick mental checks to use while proofreading.

Say it out loud: do the words sound like a single idea before the noun? If yes → hyphenate.
Swap in a single adjective: if that works, hyphenate the compound.
Check for -ly: if the first word ends in -ly, don't hyphenate.

Checklist: (1) Is it before a noun? (2) Are the words acting together? (3) Is the first word an -ly adverb? If yes/yes/no → add a hyphen.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Common confusions: wrong dash for ranges, unnecessary hyphens with -ly adverbs, and overloaded compounds that need recasting.

En dash (-) is for ranges; hyphen (-) is for compound modifiers.
Don't hyphenate with -ly adverbs: a highly skilled speaker (not highly-skilled).
When compounds get long or include commas, rewrite into a clause or two sentences.

Wrong: She is a well-educated, highly-skilled professional.
Right: She is a well-educated, highly skilled professional.
Wrong: The 2010 - 2015 report shows growth.
Right: The 2010-2015 report shows growth.

FAQ

Do I hyphenate 'American born' before a noun?

Yes. Use American-born when the phrase directly modifies a noun. To focus on birthplace as a fact, write "a scientist born in America."

Should I hyphenate 'part time' on my resume?

Yes. Use part-time on a resume or in formal writing to prevent misreading and present a professional tone.

When should I NOT use a hyphen with adjectives?

Don't hyphenate when the modifier follows the noun (the project is long term) and don't hyphenate adverbs ending in -ly with the following adjective (a highly regarded paper).

Is 'five-year plan' hyphenated when using numerals?

Yes. Use a hyphen for number + unit modifiers before a noun: a five-year plan, a 10-meter race.

Which style guide should I follow for hyphens?

Match your audience or employer's house style. When unsure, choose the form that makes your meaning clearest and apply it consistently.

Fix a sentence in seconds

If a sentence feels off, paste it into a checker or apply one of the rewrite templates above. A small hyphen can prevent misreading and make your writing look more polished.

Copy any corrected example above into your text, or recast with "born in..." when birthplace is a separate fact.