When do two words need a hyphen?

When they work together to describe a noun and come right in front of it. A part-time job, a last-minute change. If you could not use either word alone to describe the noun, they are working as one.

Which numbers get a hyphen?

Every two-word number from twenty-one to ninety-nine: thirty-five, sixty-four. Round tens like forty and single words like twelve do not need one.

Is a hyphen the same as a dash?

No. A hyphen is short and joins words, as in self-taught. A dash is longer and breaks a sentence apart. On paper, keep the hyphen short and leave no space on either side.

7th grade hyphens

7th grade hyphens worksheets

A hyphen joins words that work as one unit. Seventh graders use it in three places: between words that describe a noun together when they come in front of it (a part-time job), in the numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine, and after the prefixes self-, ex- and all-. The student writes the words on the line and adds the hyphen.

Free printable PDF worksheet.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Write the words in parentheses on the line. Add hyphens only where they belong.

The club bought a (high quality) microphone for the podcast.
Fixed: The club bought a high-quality microphone for the podcast.
Our new router came with a (two year) warranty.
Volunteers ran an (all + night) fundraiser for the shelter.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 7th grade sheet

7th grade sheets draw from 54 sentences, 8 to a page. None of these sentences are on 8th grade sheets. 8th grade sheets print 7 to a page.

A few of the sentences, as the answer key corrects them:

Owen finally finished his long-term science project.
Fatima found a time-saving shortcut in the spreadsheet program.
Giving up his seat to a stranger was a selfless thing to do.

Fix it. Write the words in parentheses on the line. Add hyphens only where they belong. 8 sentences to fix per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Teach the one-describer test. Point at the noun and ask whether the words in front of it describe it together or separately. A ten-minute break is not a ten break and a minute break, so the words are one describer and take a hyphen. Then teach the three fixed cases as a list to memorize: compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine, and the prefixes self-, ex- and all-. Writing the words on the line matters here. A student who only picks between two printed versions never has to decide where the hyphen goes.

Watch for: A compound adjective takes a hyphen in front of the noun, not after it. A ten-mile hike, but the hike is ten miles long. An -ly adverb never takes a hyphen after it: a newly built library, a freshly baked loaf. A hyphen is not a dash. The hyphen is short and has no spaces around it, and it joins words. The dash is long and separates parts of a sentence. Only some prefixes take a hyphen. Self-, ex- and all- always do. Most others close up (unusual, midnight), unless a capital letter or a number follows (mid-October, mid-1800s).

Common questions about 7th grade hyphens

When do two words need a hyphen?: When they work together to describe a noun and come right in front of it. A part-time job, a last-minute change. If you could not use either word alone to describe the noun, they are working as one.
Which numbers get a hyphen?: Every two-word number from twenty-one to ninety-nine: thirty-five, sixty-four. Round tens like forty and single words like twelve do not need one.
Is a hyphen the same as a dash?: No. A hyphen is short and joins words, as in self-taught. A dash is longer and breaks a sentence apart. On paper, keep the hyphen short and leave no space on either side.

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Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated September 2026.

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