HIGH-TECH OR HI-TEC? high-tech or hi-tec? Both spellings are correct for the adjective derived from high technology: A HI-TEC factory A HIGH-TECH computer system Without the hyphen, each word can be used as a noun replacing 'high technology': A generation familiar with HIGH TECH The latest development in HI TEC hindrance (not hinderance) hippopotamus (singular) hippopotami or hippopotamuses (plural) See FOREIGN PLURALS. historic or historical? HISTORIC means famous in history, memorable, or likely to go down in recorded history: a HISTORIC meeting HISTORICAL means existing in the past or representing something that could have happened in the past: a HISTORICAL novel a HISTORICAL fact Note It would not be wrong to say or write an historic meeting, an historical novel, an historical fact. However, this usage of an before words like hotel, historic and historical is becoming much less common, now that the h beginning these words is usually voiced. hoard or horde? To HOARD is to save something in a secret place. A HOARD is a secret store. 104 A HORDE is a large group of people, insects or animals. hoarse or horse? HOARSE means croaky, sore or rough (a HOARSE whisper). HORSE is an animal. hole or whole? Use these exemplar sentences as a guide: She ate the WHOLE cake by herself. You have a HOLE in your sock. homeoepathy/homeopathy Both spellings are correct. honest (not onnist or honist) honorary (Note-, this word has four syllables not three.) An HONORARY secretary of an association is one who works voluntarily and receives no payment. honour honourable hoof (singular) hoofs or hooves (plural) See PLURALS (v). hoping or hopping? hope + ing = hoping hop + ing = hopping See ADDING ENDINGS (i) and (ii). horde See HOARD OR HORDE?. horrible (not -able) 105 HORRIBLE horse See HOARSE OR HORSE?. human or humane? HUMAN beings are naturally competitive. There must be a more HUMANE way of slaughtering animals. humour humorous (not humourous) humourless hundred (not hundered) hung See HANGED OR HUNG?. hygiene (not -ei-) See EI/IE SPELLING RULE. hyper- or hypo-? The prefix 'hyper' comes from a Greek word meaning 'over', 'beyond'. Hence we have words like these: hyperactive (= abnormally active) hypermarket (= a very large self-service store) hypersensitive (= unusually sensitive) The prefix 'hypo' comes from a Greek word meaning 'under'. Hence we have words like these: hypochondria (the melancholy associated with obsession with one's health was originally believed to originate in the organs beneath the ribs) hypodermic (= under the skin) hypercritical or hypocritical? HYPERCRITICAL = excessively critical 106 HORSE HYPOCRITICAL = disguising one's true nature under a pretence of being better than one really is See HYPER- OR HYPO-?. hyperthermia or hypothermia? HYPERTHERMIA = having an abnormally high body temperature HYPOTHERMIA = having an abnormally low body temperature See HYPER- OR HYPO-?. hyperventilate or hypoventilate HYPERVENTILATE = to breathe at an abnormally rapid rate HYPOVENTILATE = to breathe at an abnormally slow rate See HYPER- OR HYPO-?. hyphens (i) Hyphens are used to indicate word-breaks where there is not space to complete a word at the end of a line. Take care to divide the word at an appropriate point between syllables so that your reader is not confused and can continue smoothly from the first part of the word to the second part. There are dictionaries of hyphenation available that will indicate sensible places to break words. They don't always agree with each other! You will also notice a difference in practice between British English and American English. Increasingly, however, the trend is towards American English practice, i.e. being guided by the way the word is pronounced. Break the word in such a way as to preserve the overall pronunciation as far as possible. It is really a matter of common sense. For this reason you will avoid breaking: 107 HYPHENS HYPHENS father legend therapist manslaughter notable into into into into into fat-her leg-end the-rapist mans-laughter not-able and so on! Note: that the hyphen should be placed at the end of the first line (to indicate that the word is to be continued). It is not repeated at the beginning of the next. The children shouted enthusias- tically as they raced towards the sea. If you are breaking a word that is already hyphenated, break it at the existing hyphen: Both my parents are extremely absent- minded. Breaking a word always makes it look temporarily unfamiliar. You will notice that in printed books for very young readers word- breaks are always carefully avoided. Ideally, you also will try to avoid them. Anticipate how much space a word requires at the end of a line and start a new line if necessary. Whatever happens, avoid breaking a word very close to its beginning or its end, and never break a one- syllabled word. (ii) Hyphens are used to join compound numbers between 21 and 99: twenty-one twenty-five fifty-five fifty-fifth ninety-nine ninety-ninth Hyphens are also used to join fractions when they are written as words: 108 three-quarters five-ninths (iii) Hyphens are used to join compound words so that they become one word: my son-in-law a twenty-pound note her happy-go-lucky smile You will sometimes need to check in a dictionary whether a word is hyphenated or not. Sometimes words written separately in a ten- year-old dictionary will be hyphenated in a more modern one; sometimes words hyphenated in an older dictionary will now be written as one word. Is it washing machine or washing-machine, wash-basin or washbasin, print-out or printout? Such words need to be checked individually. (iv) Hyphens are used with some prefixes: co-author, ex-wife, anti-censorship Check individual words in a dictionary if you are in doubt. Always use a hyphen when you are using a prefix before a word that begins with a capital letter: pro-British, anti-Christian, un-American Sometimes a hyphen is used for the sake of clarity. There is a difference in meaning between the words in these pairs: re-cover and recover re-form and reform co-respondent and correspondent (v) Hyphens are also used to indicate a range of figures or dates: 109 HYPHENS . 99: twenty-one twenty-five fifty-five fifty-fifth ninety-nine ninety-ninth Hyphens are also used to join fractions when they are written as words: 108 three-quarters five-ninths (iii) Hyphens . un-American Sometimes a hyphen is used for the sake of clarity. There is a difference in meaning between the words in these pairs: re-cover and recover re-form and reform co-respondent and . with some prefixes: co-author, ex-wife, anti-censorship Check individual words in a dictionary if you are in doubt. Always use a hyphen when you are using a prefix before a word