Dear Geist,
Does three year old have hyphens in it, or not? In April I wrote a short story about my nephew, age three, and I wrote that he was a three year old. That prof always freaked out about spelling and punctuation and yup, she docked me two marks because it was supposed to be three-year-old. I’m pretty sure I was right but I couldn’t prove it because it isn’t in the dictionary.
—Fran Waldorn, Kapuskasing ON
Dear Fran,
The phrase three year(s) old contains hyphens only when they are needed. “My nephew is three years old” is perfectly clear without hyphens. “My nephew, a three-year-old,” and “My three-year-old nephew” are both easier to comprehend with the hyphens. And yes, you’re right—you wouldn’t find the answer in your dictionary unless it has an appendix on punctuation.
—The Editors
