The Hyphen Hustle: Your Guide to Getting Those Little Lines Right

Watch out for the MAN-EATING SHARK! Or is that a MAN EATING shark?

That simple little line makes all the difference between a terrifying predator and someone enjoying an unusual seafood dinner. Yet hyphens cause more head-scratching than almost any other punctuation mark in writing for your business.

If you've ever hovered over your keyboard wondering whether to add that tiny dash, you're not alone. The good news? There's method to the hyphen madness.

Why Hyphens Matter More Than You Think

Hyphens aren't just a pedantic piece of punctuation copywriters love. Without them, your writing can become a guessing game for readers.

Consider these examples:

A ‘small business owner’ could be a petite person who owns any size business

A ‘small-business owner’ clearly refers to someone who owns a small business

That hyphen transforms ambiguity into understanding, helping your message land exactly where you intend it.

The Four Hyphen Heavyweights

Hyphens show up in business writing for four main reasons:

1. Numbers written as words 

Any number from twenty-one to ninety-nine gets the hyphen treatment when spelled out.

2. Casual-sounding phrases 

These add personality to your writing:

never-to-be-forgotten experience

not-so-subtle hint

An offer that’s too-good-to-be-true

3. Avoiding awkward letter combinations 

Sometimes letters crash into each other in confusing ways.

‘Re-creation’ means making something again, while ‘recreation’ means having fun.

‘Re-sign’ means signing again, while ‘resign’ means quitting your job.

4. Creating clear descriptions (or ‘compound adjective’ to be fancy)

When two or more words team up to describe something, they often need hyphening together:

client-focused approach

results-driven strategy

user-friendly interface

That Compound Adjective is where many writers trip up.

Here’s what you need to know to stay on your feet…

Don't use a hyphen if you could use each of the words alone and it still makes sense:

A slate tile roof

It works as both a ‘slate roof’ and a ‘tile roof’, so no hyphen needed. Each word can stand independently as a description.

Use a hyphen when the describing words appear early in your sentence:

We offer high-quality services

This is a time-sensitive opportunity

Our team-based approach delivers results

The hyphen shows these words work as a unit. Without it, readers might wonder if these descriptors are separate concepts.

Skip the hyphen when those same words appear at the sentence end:

Our services are high quality

This opportunity is time sensitive

Our approach is team based

Why the difference? Position matters. When describing words come at the sentence end, their relationship is already clear from context.

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Here’s my post-it note reminder for you:

Hyphenate early, separate late.

This covers the vast majority of hyphen decisions you'll face in business writing. When your describing words come early in the sentence, connect them. When they come late, let them stand alone.

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The Double Hyphen Dilemma (or em-dash)

You might have spotted a rogue piece of punctuation gate-crashing the internet lately: The double hyphen, or em dash (--).

This longer line appears frequently in AI-generated writing, often replacing commas or creating a dramatic pause.

But here's the plot twist: traditional UK writing doesn't typically use em dashes the way American writing does. We prefer our trusty commas, semicolons and full stops to manage sentence flow.

What does the em dash actually mean? 

It usually signals an abrupt change in thought, an interruption, or emphasises information.

In American writing, you might see:

The results were impressive -- far beyond our expectations. 

(UK equivalent: The results were impressive – far beyond our expectations.)

We need to discuss the budget -- assuming you have time.

(UK equivalent: We need to discuss the budget, assuming you have time.)

The client called today -- twice, actually -- about the project deadline. 

(UK equivalent: The client called today (twice, actually) about the project deadline.)

Should UK businesses use it? 

Probably not regularly. It can make your writing feel unnecessarily dramatic or imported from across the Atlantic. Stick with conventional UK punctuation for a home audience.

If you're using AI tools to help with your writing, watch out for the em dash invasion. A quick edit to replace them with more natural UK punctuation will keep your tone authentically British.

Making Hyphens Work for Your Business

Getting hyphens right isn't about following obscure grammar rules - it's about ensuring your message reaches your audience without confusion or distraction.

When your writing flows clearly, readers focus on your ideas rather than deciphering your punctuation. That's when real connection happens between your business and the humans on the other side of the screen.