Compound words are the culmination of a process.  They start as two words often used together to express a concept. As they become more closely linked, they become hyphenated. The final step is to eliminate the hyphen and make a compound word. There are words in all stages of evolution in use at all times. Dictionaries observe usage by respected writers to determine which form is appropriate for the next issue of their book. Compound words in Basic English must be basic words in which the basic meaning of each word is clear in the compound word.

"Straightforward Basic combinations like "milkman" present no difficulty; descriptive compounds like "blackberry, blackbird" are allowed in the form of specializations; "bluebottle", which is analogically descriptive, is on the borderland; while "butterflies" and "chestnuts" must be rejected as giving no clue to their identity."

Just as a sentence or expression is composed of a string of Basic words, a new compound word can be created from Basic words that can be used in the appropriate situations. A Basic English compound word must to derived from obvious roots. Thus blackberry, but not blackmail ; blackboard, but not blacksmith.   This list is from Ogden's examples.

A

aftereffect, afterthought, aircushion, airman airplane, airport, airtight, another, anybody, anyhow, anyone, anything, anyplace, anytime, anyway, anywhere, armhole, artwork.

B

backbone, backside, backspace, backwater, backwoods, bagpipes, basketwork, bathroom, become, bedroom, beeswax, bird's-eye, birthday, birthrate, birthright, blackberry, blackbird, blackboard, blacklead, blackout, bloodvessel, blood-vessel, bluebell, bookkeeper, bookmark, bookrest, bookshelf, bookworm, brakeman, breath-taking, brickwork brother-in-law, brushwood, businessman, buttercup, buttermilk, buttonhole, button-hook, bygone.

C

cardboard, carefree, caretaker, clockwork, commonsense, copyright, cupboard, countryside .

D

daylight, doorway, downfall, download, drainpipe .

E

earring, ear-ring, earthwork, evergreen, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, eyeball .

F

farmhouse, father-in-law, fatherland, fingerprint, firearm, fireboat, fire-engine, firefly, fireman, fireplace, fireworks, first-rate, football, footlights, footman, footnote, footprint, footstep, footway .

G

gasworks, goldfish, goodlooking, good-morning, goodnight, gunboat, gun-carriage, gunmetal, gunpowder .

H

haircut, handbook, handgrip, handgun, handwork, handwriting, headdress, headland, headstone, headway, hereafter, herewith, herself, highlands, highway, himself, horseback, horseplay, horsepower, hourglass, houseboat, housekeeper, however .

I

inasmuch, income, indoors, inland, inlay, inlet, input, inside, instep, into, itself .

J, K

keyboard, keyhole, keystone, keyword .

L

landmark, landowner, landslip, lighthouse, looking-glass, lookout .

M

manhole, milkman, month-end, moonlight, mother-in-law, myself .

N

needlework, newborn, newcomer, network, newspaper, nobody, notebook, nothing, nowhere .

O

offspring, oncoming, oneself, ONLINE, onlooker, onto, ourself, outbuilding, outburst, outcome, outcry, outdoor, outgoing, outhouse, outlaw, outlet, outline, outlook, output, outside, outskirts, outstretched, overacting, overall overbalancing, overbearing, overcoat, overcome, overdo, overdressed, overdrink, overfull overhanging, overhead, overhear, overheat, overland, overleaf, overload, overlook, overseas, oversee, overseer, overshoe, overstatement, overstretched,overtake, overtaxed, overtime overturned, overuse, overvalued, overweight, overworking .

P

paperback, paperwork, peacekeeper, pincushion, plaything , policeman, postman, postmark, postoffice.

Q, R

railroad, railway, roadway, runaway .

S

sailboat, sailcloth, sailmaker, schoolhouse, schoolroom, seaman, secondhand, shoemaker, shorthand, shutdown, sideboard, sidewalk, sister-in-law, somebody, someday, somehow, someone, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere, son-in-law, starfish, starlight, starship, startup, stea,boat, steamship, stonework, storemouse, straightforward, suchlike, sunburn, sunbrown, sunlight, sunshade, sweetheart .

T

themselves, throughway, today, tonight, tradesman .

U

underclothes, undercooked, underdone, undergo, undergrowth, inderhand, undermined, undersigned, undersized, understatement, undertake, undervalued, update, upkeep, uplift, upload, upon, upright, uptake, username .

V

viewpoint .

W

warship, waterfall, waterway, website, weekend, well-being, well-off, whatever, whenever, whereas, whereby, wherever, whichever, whitewash, whoever, windpipe, within, without, woodwork, workhouse , workman, workplace, workstation, wrongdoing.

X

X-ray

Y

yearbook, year-end, yearlong, year-long, yourself .

Z

zookeeper.

    These are from Ogden's short list, words found in Basic writings, words found while translating, and some are included because we think they are properly useful Basic compound words.   This list is not intended to be all-inclusive.   Derivative forms are not included. Nor are prefixes of measures; centi-, kilo-, etc.; or of un- .     Use of a complex form or as a hypenated-word is irregular. Examples : looking-glass or looking glass ; blacklead or black lead ; bloodvessel, blood-vessel, or blood vessel     Appearance on this page is to achieve agreement with the spell-check wordlist which is intended to allow use as an author's choice, not as a recommendation of useage. Example, preferred forms are weekend, month end, year-end, but every combination will be found.

Complete list of compounds we have

    These are from Ogden's short list, from words found in Basic writings, words found while translating, and some inserted because we think them properly to be useful Basic compound words. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive. (Perhaps later.)

    Derivative forms are not included. Nor are prefixes of measures; centi-, kilo-, etc.; or of un- .     Words to be added to this page and to Spell-check, Dec 24, 2007, are in capitals.     Use of a complex form or as a hypenated word is not ifxed ; examples : looking-glass or looking glass ; blacklead or black lead ; bloodvessel, blood-vessel, or blood vessel.     Appearance on this page is to achieve agreement with the spell-check wordlist which is to allow use as an author's choice, not as a recommendation of useage. Example, preferred forms are weekend, month end, year-end, but every combination will be found.

aftereffect, afterthought, aircushion, airmail, airman, airplane, airport, airtight, another, anybody, anyhow, anyone, anyplace, anything, anytime, anyway, anywhere, armhole, artwork, away, backbone, backside, backspace, backwater, backwoods, bagpipes, basketwork, bathroom, bedroom, beeswax, bird's-eye, birthplace, birthrate, birthright, blackberry, blackbird, blackboard, blacklead, blackout, bloodvessel, blood-vessel, bluebell, bookkeeper, bookmark, bookrest, bookshelf, bookworm, brakeman, breath-taking, brickwork, brother-in-law, brushwood, businessman, buttercup, buttermilk, buttonhole, button-hook, bygone camaraman, cardboard, carefree, caretaker, clockwork, commonsense, copyright, countryside, cupboard, doorway, downfall, download, drainpipe, earthwork, earthworm, evergreen, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, eyeball, farmhouse, FATHER-IN-LAW, fatherland, fingerprint, firearm, FIREBOAT, fire-engine, fire-fly, fireman, fireplace, fireworks, first-rate, football, footlight, footman, footnote, footprint, footstep, footway, gasworks, goldfish, goodlooking, good-morning, goodnight, gunboat, gun-carriage, gunmetal, gunpowder . haircut, handbook, handgrip, handgun, handwork, handwriting, headland, headstone, headway, hereafter, herewith, HERSELF, highlands, highway, himself, horseback, horseplay, horsepower, hourglass, houseboat, housekeeper, however, inasmuch, instate, income, indoors, inland, INLAY, inlet, input, inside, instep, into, itself, keyboard, keyhole, keystone, keyword, landmark, landowner, landslip, lighthouse, looking-glass, lookout manhole, MILKMAN, MONTH-END, MOONLIGHT, MOTHER-IN-LAW, MOTHERLAND, myself, NEEDLEWORK, network, newborn, newcomer, newspaper, nobody, notebook, nothing, nowhere, offspring, oncoming, oneself, online, onlooker, onto, OURSELF, outbuilding, outburst, outcome, outcry, outdo, outdoor, outgoing, outhouse, outlaw, outlet, outline, outlook, output, outside, outskirts, outstretched, overact, overall, overbalancing, overbearing, overcoat, overcome, overdo, overdress, overdrink, overfill, overfull, overhang, overhead, overhear, overheat, overland, overleaf, overlook, overseas, OVERSEE, overseer, overshoe, overstatement, overstretch, overtake, overtaxed, overtime, overturn, overuse, overvalue, overweight, overwork, paperback, PAPERWORK, pastmaster, peacekeeper, pincushion, plaything, policeman, postman, postmark, postoffice . railroad, RAILWAY, roadway, runway SAILBOAT, SAILCLOTH, SAILMAKER, SCHOOLHOUSE, SCHOOLROOM, seaman, secondhand, SHOEMAKER, shorthand, shutdown, sideboard, sidewalk, SISTER-IN_LAW, somebody, someday, somehow, someone, someplace, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere, son-in-law STARFISH, STARLIGHT, STARSHIP, startup, STEAMBOAT, steamship, STONEWORK, storehouse, straightforward, suchlike, sunburn, sunbrown, sunlight, sun-shade, sweetheart THEMSELVES, throughway, today, tonight, tradesman, underclothes, undercook, underdone, undergo, undergrowth, underhand, undermine, undersea, undersigned, undersized,understatement, undertake, undervalued, underwear, undo, update, upkeep, uplift, upon, upright, uptake, username, viewpoint, warship, waterfall, waterway, WEEKEND, well-being, well-off, whatever, whenever, whereas, whereby, wherever, whichever, whitewash, whoever, whomever, windpipe, within, without, woodwork, workhouse, WORKMAN, workplace, workstation, wrongdoing, x-ray, yearbook, YEAR-END, YEARLONG, YEAR-LONG, yourself, zookeeper.