Compound Nouns Worksheets

A compound noun consists of two words that are put together to create a single noun. One of the words is usually a noun; however, the other word can be a noun, an adjective or a preposition. Combined, the meaning may or may not relate directly back to the root noun.

Compound nouns can be closed (one word), open (two words) or hyphenated (two or more words connected by a hyphen). Examples of each type of compound noun are:

• closed compound nouns - toothpaste, schoolhouse, bedroom
• open compound nouns - ice cream, root beer, coffee table
• hyphenated compound nouns - four-door, daughter-in-law, six-pack

Compound nouns can be made up of a noun and an adjective as is the case with the word blackboard. Sometimes the compound noun will not have a noun within it at all, as in the word output. Even so, it will still be considered a compound noun, because it took the combination of two separate words to form this new word.

To get in as much practice as you can, try your hand at the first helpful compound noun worksheet. You can try out the sample compound noun exercises here, or download the printable worksheets below for more practice.

Using the table below, match a word on the left with a word on the right to make compound words.

How did you do? Here are the compound words you can make with the words above:

• catfish
• handshake
• lighthouse
• notebook
• stopwatch

Now that you have experience creating compound nouns, you can use this worksheet to match them to their definitions. See how well you know what common compound words mean in a matching exercise.

Read the definitions below. Use the word bank words to create the correct compound word that matches each definition.

Word Bank: cake, chop, coffee, man, mug, pan, spoon, snow, stick, tea

1. A breakfast food made on the stovetop.
2. A wintery creation that looks like a person.
3. A common utensil in Asian cuisine.
4. A cup used to enjoy a hot beverage.
5. A small measurement in a recipe.

Could you match the compound words to their definitions? Here are the answers:

1. pancake - A breakfast food made on the stovetop.
2. snowman - A wintery creation that looks like a person.
3. chopstick - A common utensil in Asian cuisine.
4. coffee mug - A cup used to enjoy a hot beverage.
5. teaspoon - A small measurement in a recipe.

Using a compound noun worksheet or two can aid in the process of teaching compound nouns. However, also remember that students have individual needs and requirements. Therefore, these worksheets will have to be blended in with other teaching techniques in order to ensure a comprehensive education. Use general noun worksheets along with common and proper noun worksheets in a full lesson on the parts of speech.