Prefix with a Hyphen?
There is often confusion about whether a hyphen should be used with a prefix. Unfortunately, there are no specific rules governing this, and a definitive list of the prefixed words acceptable without hyphens is yet to be compiled.
Examples:
 Prehistoric
/ pre-historic 
("Prehistoric" is so widely used that "pre-historic" is now considered wrong.)
ultraviolet
/ ultra-violet
(Most prefixed words exist in both forms.)
The attack would take place at night as the anti-government troops did not
possess infrared goggles.
(You can often choose when to use a hyphen in a prefixed word. In this example,
the writer did not like the look of "antigovernment" or "infra-red" and so chose
the versions above.)
Common Convention with the Prefix "Re"
When using the prefix "re" to denote repeating an activity (e.g. re-enter, repaint), it is a common convention to use a hyphen to avoid two vowels being together (e.g. write "re-engage" not "reengage"). This is a style convention not a rule. "Re-engage" and "reengage" are both correct, so don't expect your spellchecker to underline "reengage" in red. However, some words (e.g. re-enter) look so unwieldy without the hyphen, many spellcheckers don't allow them.
Other prefixes that end in vowels (e.g. anti- and contra-) also attract this convention.
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GOOD NEWS
It is suspected that, in the beginning, all prefixed words had hyphens. However, over time, some hyphens in words have
disappeared. For most prefixed words, both versions exist (e.g., post-natal and postnatal). If you are unsure, use a hyphen. The hyphen version is very likely to be acceptable.
Other common prefixes are:
ante-
(before) |
ex-
(former) |
pre-
(before) |
anti-
(against) |
infra-
(below) |
pro-
(for) |
contra-
(opposite to) |
post-
(after) |
ultra-
(above) |
PREFIXES IN TITLES
When names or titles (with capital letters) are prefixed, the prefix is usually written with a lowercase letter and a hyphen.
I am aware that ex-Bishop Zoric, who was pro-Nazi, was still teaching in the
post-World War II era.
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