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Adverbs that end in -ly should not be hyphenated with verbs, so this is incorrect:

A carefully-written document.

But it's very common to hyphenate adverbs like 'well' with verbs, so this appears correct:

A well-prepared student.

Now I have seen compounds that include 'most' hyphenated and I'm not sure whether it is appropriate:

Saffron is the most-substituted ingredients in this recipe.

This is one of the most-read books of 2021.

Question: is there a rule (or rule of thumb) to determine whether a hyphen is required in adverb-verb compounds?

Frostbitten
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  • There's no absolute "rule" here, but per this usage NGram, most writers don't hyphenate *the most read books. But we usually do* hyphenate *a well-prepared speech.* – FumbleFingers Nov 14 '21 at 13:47
  • But you might find Using a hyphen with adverbs ending in “ly” useful. Particularly where it says Easy rule of thumb: Never hyphenate an “ly” adverb. – FumbleFingers Nov 14 '21 at 13:52
  • Also.) To summarize, well requires a hyphen when it functions as part of a compound adjective (generally when it precedes a noun). There is no hyphen when well functions as an adverb (usually following the noun being modified and a linking verb, such as to be), or when it is qualified. And lastly, a hyphen is always required whenever well is part of a standard expression. – FumbleFingers Nov 14 '21 at 13:55
  • Compounds are single words, sometimes hyphenated, but never written separately, so the real question here is whether your examples are compound words consisting of two bases or syntactic constructions consisting of head+modifier. We need to distinguish here between compound adjectives and adverb+verb syntactic sequences like "rapidly diminishing (returns)". One difference is that we can say "They seem hard-working", but not *"They seem rapidly diminishing". – BillJ Nov 14 '21 at 14:54
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    Does this answer your question? Hyphen or no hyphen when modifying an adjective with an intensifier / downtoner? – Edwin Ashworth Nov 14 '21 at 14:59
  • @EdwinAshworth Thanks for finding a similar question. I think this one is slightly more general (it is not about intensifiers/downtoners) so I would keep it especially because it has now received a useful answer. – Frostbitten Nov 14 '21 at 16:50
  • 'Most used' shows an intensification. I'd call 'most' a degree modifier here (probably classically an adverb of degree). The questions are similar enough to be duplicates and this may well be closed. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 14 '21 at 17:08
  • Hyphenation can be quite useful as a way to clarify the intended meaning of "more" in ambiguous comparisons. Suppose that I tell you, "I have a pamphlet at home that describes how to make counterfeit coins, but I'm looking for a book with more useful information on the subject." Am I looking for additional information ("more useful information"), or am I looking for information that is of superior utility ("more-useful information")? In speech, verbal cues may help you figure out my intended meaning. In writing, consistently applied or omitted hyphenation can provide the necessary clarity. – Sven Yargs Nov 16 '21 at 10:24

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A hyphen is used to join words so that the reader understands that they form a single unit. For example, a man eating shrimp is different from a man-eating shrimp. We typically don't hyphenate an adverb ending in "ly" because there is usually no question about what is being modified. "Most" is also an adverb (in addition to other parts of speech) and thus does not require a hyphen, although you may (and perhaps should) use one if there might be any ambiguity about what you intended. I don't see any ambiguity in the sentences you posted, so I would not hyphenate.

MarcInManhattan
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  • Contrast 'John brought the most[-]used carrier bags'. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 14 '21 at 14:55
  • Yes, "most-used carrier bags" clearly tells us what kind of carrier bags they are, while "most used carrier bags" could mean either that or "the majority of used carrier bags". In that situatuion, there is definitely some ambiguity. – MarcInManhattan Nov 14 '21 at 15:12
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    So the "rule" is to hyphenate to resolve ambiguities. That makes sense, thank you. I think this answer would benefit from the example by @EdwinAshworth and your clarification in the comments. Maybe add it to the answer itself? – Frostbitten Nov 14 '21 at 16:49
  • @Frostbitten You wisely put scare-quotes round 'rule'. I'd say the rules are, in order, (1) avoid ambiguity/unclarity; (2) avoid something that looks awful; (3) check to see if the authorities (dictionaries then style guides) actually show a spelling. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 14 '21 at 17:04