Which term describes words formed by combining two or more words to create a new meaning?

Which term describes words formed by combining two or more words to create a new meaning?

• A. Prefixes
• B. Compound words
• C. Suffixes
• D. Syllables

Answer: (B)

Compound words describe when two or more words are joined to create a single word with its own meaning. When sun and light come together, they form a term that refers to light from the sun, a new idea beyond either word on its own. Other familiar examples include rainbow, toothbrush, and sunflower. These can be written as one word (sunlight), with a hyphen (mother-in-law), or as two separate words (high school), but they all function as a single unit whose meaning comes from the combination. This differs from prefixes and suffixes, which attach to a base word to change its meaning rather than forming a new concept from two full words. It also isn’t about syllables, which are units of sound rather than combined meanings.

Compound words describe when two or more words are joined to create a single word with its own meaning. When sun and light come together, they form a term that refers to light from the sun, a new idea beyond either word on its own. Other familiar examples include rainbow, toothbrush, and sunflower. These can be written as one word (sunlight), with a hyphen (mother-in-law), or as two separate words (high school), but they all function as a single unit whose meaning comes from the combination.

This differs from prefixes and suffixes, which attach to a base word to change its meaning rather than forming a new concept from two full words. It also isn’t about syllables, which are units of sound rather than combined meanings.