You might be feeling correct whenever you write “email” by its traditional spelling “e-mail.” But did you know that many consider the hyphen to be superfluous and anachronistic? In fact, some resent the hyphen so much that they have a petition against it. Today, the more appropriate spelling of web-based terms tends to avoid hyphens and combine two words together (see “online,” “website,” and “blog”).
Dictionaries like Webster’s still use the hyphen in “email,” but that may change soon. Media and common usage have a tendency to influence dictionaries, and electronically involved language changes quickly. If you still are holding on to that tiny sliver of punctuation, consider this: writing is for the sake of clear communication, not for upholding conventions that have lost their meaning. No confusion will result from the dropping of a hyphen.
Still not convinced? Remember that many are using mobile web devices, which can be somewhat unwieldy. That extra hyphen suddenly becomes a bit of uninvited work in a world of fast-paced communications. According to the Wall Street Journal, there has been a 5% decrease in hyphen usage from 1961 to 1991, well before the sophisticated email systems that we use today. Back in the dark ages, we used to write “to-day” and “now-a-days” and “soft-ware.” And good riddance! So, the Internet is not really to blame for the disappearing hyphens.
As for the next phase in dehyphenation, Google keyword search hits suggest that “e-commerce” and “e-book” will soon be replaced by “ecommerce” and “ebook” as well. For now, however, the hyphenated versions remain more popular. Stay tuned, however, to the trends of web communications. Don’t get caught in archaic usages and styles, unless, of course, you are deliberately asserting personal style.*
*FYI: At Visible Shops, we capitalize “Internet” because we’re geeky and think it’s awesome like that.
