1. Hyphenate nouns formed by the combination of two nouns standing in objective relation to each other, that is, one of whose components is derived from a transitive verb:
| well-wisher | wood-turning | |
| mind-reader | child-study | |
| office-holder | clay-modeling |
When such compounds are in very common use, and especially when they have a specific or technical meaning, they are printed solid;
| typewriter | stockholder | |
| proofreader | copyholder | |
| lawgiver | dressmaker |
2. Hyphenate a combination of a present participle with a noun when the meaning of the combination is different from that of the two words taken separately; boarding-house, sleeping-car, walking-stick.
3. Hyphenate a combination of a present participle with a preposition used absolutely (not governing the following noun); the putting-in or taking-out of a hyphen.
4. As a rule compounds of book, house, will, room, shop, and work should be printed solid when the prefixed noun has one syllable; should be hyphenated when it contains two; should be printed in two separate words when it contains three or more;
handbook, notebook, story-book, pocket-book, reference book.
clubhouse, storehouse, engine-house, power-house, business-house.
handmill, sawmill, water-mill, paper-mill, chocolate mill.