Site icon Hot Pepper Communications

Writing out the age of a person

The following is a reader submission.

How do you write out the age of a person? Is it correct to write: 48-year-old or 48 year-old?

Hi Amy,

Thanks for the great question. It’s actually a pretty simple answer.

If you use the phrase as a noun, you use hyphens (e.g. The 48-year-old ate at the diner). If you use the phrase as an adjective, you omit the hyphens (e.g. The diner’s patron was 48 years old).

I hope this clears it up for you.

Kim

Update (9 Sep 2015): As suggested by Kerry Lewis, you also hyphenate when using a compound adjective:

Email me your grammar questions. I’ll be sure to post the question and answer here.

Exit mobile version