Avoid unnecessary hyphens (EK00010)
An -ly adverb already modifies the next word, so dropping the hyphen keeps your documentation grammatically clean. Learn why, with examples.
An adverb ending in “-ly” already modifies the word that follows it, so it needs no hyphen to connect the two. EkLine flags an “-ly” adverb hyphenated to the next word (rule EK00010) so you can remove the hyphen.
Why avoid unnecessary hyphens in documentation?
Section titled “Why avoid unnecessary hyphens in documentation?”An “-ly” adverb never needs a hyphen to connect it to the word it modifies, and the extra mark reads as an editing slip. Removing it keeps compound modifiers clean and matches standard grammar guides your technical readers rely on. Consistent hyphenation also helps search match your content whether a reader types “newly created” or “newly-created”.
What EkLine flags
Section titled “What EkLine flags”EK00010 matches an adverb ending in “-ly” that is hyphenated to the word right after it.
- ❌ Incorrect: Open a newly-created file.
- ✅ Correct: Open a newly created file.
- ❌ Incorrect: Review the automatically-generated docs.
- ✅ Correct: Review the automatically generated docs.
How to fix
Section titled “How to fix”Delete the hyphen between the “-ly” adverb and the word it modifies.
Does an “-ly” adverb need a hyphen?
Section titled “Does an “-ly” adverb need a hyphen?”No. An adverb ending in “-ly” already modifies the word that follows, so the hyphen is unnecessary. Write “newly created,” not “newly-created.”
Are there “-ly” words that keep their hyphen?
Section titled “Are there “-ly” words that keep their hyphen?”Yes. Some adjectives end in “-ly” without being adverbs — such as “family-owned” — and keep their hyphen. Keep those and ignore the rule for that line.
Rule details
Section titled “Rule details”| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rule ID | EK00010 |
| Category | Spelling and grammar |
| Default severity | Error |
| Enabled by default | Yes |
Ignore this rule
Section titled “Ignore this rule”To keep a hyphenated “-ly” word on one line, add an inline comment:
<!-- ekline-ignore-next-line EK00010 -- family-owned is a compound adjective -->EkLine serves family-owned businesses.To disable the rule across your project, add it to the ignore list in your configuration file.