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(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
List of Compound Nouns
350 Compound Nouns
Here is a list of 350 common compound nouns. The list is sortable, editable, and printable. It can be displayed as normal text or in columns (up to 4).Just for fun, we've added game of hangman, which selects a compound from this list as the secret word.
Table of Contents
- A Reminder about Compound Nouns
- Sortable, Editable, and Printable List
- Learn with Hangman!
A Reminder about Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are formed when two or more words are combined to create a single noun. These words can be combined in a variety of ways, such as through open spelling, closed spelling, and hyphenation.
Sortable, Editable, and Printable List
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Columns


afterbirth, aftermath, aide-de-camp, aircraft, airfield, airline, airmail, airport, armchair, armpit, backache, background, backlash, backlog, back-pedaling/back-pedalling, backside, bandwagon, bankbook, banknote, barman, baseball, basketball, bathroom, battlefield, battleship, bedroom, bedspread, bedtime, billboard, birthday, blackbird, blackboard, blacklist, blood-test, bomb squad, booklet, bookshelf, bookworm, boyfriend, brainstorm, breakfast, briefcase, bulldog, bullfight, butterfly, by-product, bystander, carjacking, carpet, case study, catfish, chairman, cheapskate, check-in, checkup, chopstick, classmate, clockwork, clotheshorse, clothesline, coat-of-male, comeback, commander-in-chief, copycat, copyright, cornerstone, countdown, countryside, courthouse, courtyard, cowboy, crackdown, crossroad, cupboard, cutback, daredevil, daybreak, daydream, daytime, deadline, deadlock, death rate, deathtrap, dishwasher, dishwater, do-gooder, doorbell, doorstop, doorway, downfall, downpour, dragonfly, drawback, dressmaker, driveway, driving licence, drugstore, drumstick, dry-cleaning, eardrum, earphone, earring, earthworm, earwig, egghead, evergreen, eyeball, eyeglasses, eyelid, eyewitness, farmhouse, fatherhood, father-in-law, feedback, fingernail, fingerprint, firearm, firefly, firewood, fireworks, fishbowl, flash flood, floodlight, football, footnote, footprint, forecast, foretaste, forget-me-not, freeway, friendship, fruitcake, full moon, gatecrasher, gentleman, ghostwriter, go-between, godfather, goldfish, good-for-nothing, grand jury, grandfather, grandmother, grasshopper, greenhouse, guidebook, guideline, gunfire, gunpowder, haircut, hairdresser, half sister, hallway, handbag, handcuff, handmade, handshake, handwriting, hanger-on, headache, headlight, headquarters, heartbeat, high school, highway, homework, honeymoon, horsefly, horsepower, hot dog, houseboat, housework, ice cream, input, jellyfish, jigsaw, keyboard, kneecap, knight-errant, knight-templar, ladybug, landlady, leadership, leftovers, letterhead, lifespan, lighthouse, lipstick, living room, looker-on, lookout, loophole, lord-justice, lord-lieutenant, lovebird, mailbox, manhunt, man-of-war, mastermind, merry-go-round, middleman, moonlight, motorcycle, neighborhood/neighbourhood, network, newsletter, newspaper, nightclub, nightmare, no-brainer, notebook, onlooker, onset, outlook, output, overcoat, overdose, overseas, overthrow, overtime, painkiller, pancake, paperback, partnership, passer-by, passport, password, peanut butter, penknife, photocopy, pick-me-up, pickpocket, pigtail, plea-bargain, pocketknife, policeman, popcorn, post office, postman, printer cartridge, public speaking, quicksand, racehorse, railway, rainbow, raincoat, raindrops, rainfall, rattlesnake, real estate, redhead, ringworm, roadrunner, runway, saltwater, sandbags, sandcastle, saucepan, sawdust, screenplay, screwdriver, seafood, seashell, seashore, seaweed, self-defense/self-defence, shellfish, shock wave, shoplifter, shorthand, shotgun, sickbed, sideburns, sidekick, sidewalk, silkworm, skateboard, skullcap, skyscraper, slaughterhouse, sleepwalking, snowball, snowboard, snowfall, softball, software, songbird, soundtrack, spaceship, sportsman, spotlight, stalemate, starlight, stepchild, stopwatch, strawberry, stretcher-bearer, strongbox, suitcase, summertime, sunlight, sunshine, sunspot, sweet tooth, sweetheart, swimming pool, swordfish, tablespoon, take-off, teacup, teapot, teardrop, teaspoon, thunderstorm, timetable, toadstool, toolbox, toothpick, train-spotting, tugboat, tug-of-war, upturn, wardrobe, washing machine, watchdog, water tank, waterproof, weekend, wheelchair, windpipe, wiretap
Learn with Hangman!
Hangman is a classic word game. In this version, the hidden word is always a compound noun from this list. (Choose your first letter to start.)- Guess the hidden word by choosing one letter at a time.
- If you guess a letter in the hidden word, then all is good.
- If you guess a letter that is not in the hidden word, then the hangman starts to build the gallows.
- If the gallows are completed, you lose.
- Good luck!
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