When using a hyphenated compound word (i.e., a compound adjective, verb, or noun) in a document and the word splits across two lines due to it being at the end of a line, is it considered improper to split it across lines and should one instead force it to the next line with a non-breaking hyphen?
For example, the compound adjective self-supporting:
A good mat for this purpose should have enough rigidity such that the mat is self‑
supporting
versus
A good mat for this purpose should have enough rigidity such that the mat is
self‑supporting
In other words, should one use a non-breaking hyphen in compound words so that the reader does not mistake the word for not being compound (e.g., selfsupporting) and just broken at a syllable due to being at the end of the line?
Answer
Yes, at least according to the Purdue OWL:
For line breaks, divide already-hyphenated words only at the hyphen:
mass-
produced
self-
conscious
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