Hyphenate compound adjectives before a noun to indicate that the adjectives should be read as a unit, thereby avoiding ambiguity.


 



Although hyphens are only sometimes needed to avoid misunderstanding, hyphenate compound adjectives even when confusion is unlikely.





However, do not hyphenate compound adjectives in which the first element is an adverb ending in either ly or in y.





Similarly, do not hyphenate compound adjectives in which the first element is a comparative (such as less) or a superlative (such as most).