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Which is correct: nonfiction or non-fiction (with a hyphen?)

By Jared Dees

As I write about my journey as a writer, I find myself referring to nonfiction with and without a hyphen. I must have grown up hyphenating non-fiction, but I see it presented both ways.

Here are a few ways to find a definitive answer to whether there should be a hyphen in nonfiction:

Does Amazon hyphenate nonfiction?  

No. See Amazon’s Most Read/Most Sold Nonfiction Charts.

Does Barnes & Noble hyphenate nonfiction? 

No. See Barnes & Noble’s nonfiction bestsellers list.

Does the New York Times hyphenate nonfiction? 

No. See the New York Times Nonfiction Best Sellers List.

(Note: Amazon and NYT break “bestsellers” into two words unlike B&N.)

What do style guides say? 

The Chicago Manual of Style represents it as nonfiction with no hyphen.

Conclusion:

Do not hyphenate nonfiction!

Time to break bad habits!

 

January 6, 2018 Filed Under: On Writing, Which is correct?

About Jared Dees

Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children.

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Jared Dees is passionate about sharing practical resources to teach faith. He is best known for his website The Religion Teacher and is the author of many books including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Christ in the Classroom, and Beatitales: 80 Fables about the Beatitudes for Children. See all of Jared's Books →

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