When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly

When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly

managed services new york city

Okay, lets talk about those tricky little words ending in "-ly" and when we need to glue them to other words with a hyphen.

When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly - managed services new york city

  1. managed service new york
  2. check
  3. managed it security services provider
  4. managed service new york
  5. check
  6. managed it security services provider
  7. managed service new york
  8. check
  9. managed it security services provider
  10. managed service new york
  11. check
  12. managed it security services provider
  13. managed service new york
  14. check
Its a common source of confusion (believe me, even seasoned writers stumble!).


So, when do we hyphenate adverbs ending in "-ly"? The short answer is: almost never. Thats right. Generally speaking, you dont need a hyphen between an adverb ending in "-ly" and the adjective or participle it modifies.


Think about it this way: the "-ly" already signals that the word is an adverb.

When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly - check

    Its a built-in indicator of its function.

    When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly - check

    1. managed it security services provider
    2. managed it security services provider
    3. managed it security services provider
    4. managed it security services provider
    5. managed it security services provider
    6. managed it security services provider
    7. managed it security services provider
    8. managed it security services provider
    9. managed it security services provider
    10. managed it security services provider
    Because of that, theres usually no ambiguity, and no need for a hyphen to clarify the relationship between the words.


    For example, youd write "a highly successful venture," not "a highly-successful venture." Or "a freshly baked pie," not "a freshly-baked pie." See?

    When to Hyphenate Adverbs Ending in -ly - managed service new york

    1. managed it security services provider
    2. check
    3. managed it security services provider
    4. check
    5. managed it security services provider
    6. check
    7. managed it security services provider
    The "-ly" adverb clearly modifies the adjective that follows. The meaning is clear without the hyphen.


    Now, there are always exceptions (aren't there always?). One very rare exception might arise if omitting the hyphen would create genuine confusion. Im talking about a situation where the words could be misread or misunderstood at a glance. But honestly, these cases are incredibly rare. Youd probably have to work quite hard to create a sentence that demands hyphenation for clarity.


    So, the takeaway? When youre dealing with an adverb ending in "-ly" modifying another word, your default position should be no hyphen. Trust the "-ly" – its doing its job! When in doubt, leave it out. (And if youre still unsure, a quick search online or a peek at a style guide can offer reassurance.) Its a small detail but getting it right can add polish to your writing.

    Hyphenation Rules for Compound Nouns