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no one and no-one - the difference




Spell 'no one' (without a hyphen) as opposed to 'no-one'.
 


No Hyphen

The formal spelling of 'no one' is without a hyphen.

Example:


Correct spelling of no one
(Sign in US laundry room)

Hyphen Becoming Acceptable

In recent years, the 'no-one' version has become more popular.  Some grammarians condone the hyphenated version, claiming it eliminates ambiguity with 'no one' as in "No one person can overcome her power."  However, the times when there would be true ambiguity are very seldom.  Here is one example:

No one can will work.
(Is the subject "No one can" or "No one"?)
NO ONE IS ALWAYS RIGHT 

There is notable leniency on how to write 'no one' - using a hyphen does not constitute a grammatical howler.  However, let's be clear on this, the correct spelling is no one.
NOONE IS NEVER RIGHT 

Nobody and nowhere have become single words. However, 'no one' has not.  Noone is wrong. 

See also:

Common errors and FAQs
Easily confused words
List of easily confused words

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