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Nouns in combination: milk chocolate

milk chocolate; chocolate milk​

Many common ideas in English are expressed by noun + noun compounds. In this structure, the first noun modifies or describes the second, a little like an adjective. Compare:

  • milk chocolate (a kind of chocolate)
    chocolate milk (a kind of milk)
  • a horse race (a kind of race)
    a race horse (a kind of horse)
  • a garden flower (a kind of flower)
    a flower garden (a kind of garden)

Noun + noun expressions are often related to structures where the second noun becomes a subject.

  • an oil well (the well produces oil)
  • a sheepdog (the dog looks after sheep)
  • a Birmingham man (the man comes from Birmingham)
  • the airport bus (the bus goes to the airport)

The first noun is singular: a shoe shop​

Note that the first noun is usually singular in form, even if it has a plural meaning. (For exceptions, (see here).)

  • a shoe shop (= a shop that sells shoes)
  • a toothbrush (= a brush for teeth)
  • a ticket office (= an office that sells tickets)
  • a horse race (= a race for horses)
  • coat pockets (= pockets in coats)

Measurement: a five-litre can​

Noun + noun is used in measurements, with a number before the first noun. The number is usually joined to the first noun by a hyphen (-). Note that the first noun is normally singular in form in these cases.

  • a five-litre can (not a five-litres can)
  • a ten-pound note (not a ten-pounds note)
  • a hundred-dollar bill
  • a five-day course
  • a six-pound chicken
  • a two-person tent
  • a three-mile walk
  • ten two-hour lessons

The number one is often left out.

  • a (one-)pint mug

In fractions, the plural -s is not usually dropped.

  • a two-thirds share (not a two-third share)

Exception: three quarters (a three-quarter length coat)

Exceptions: first noun plural – a clothes shop​

Some nouns are plural in this structure, especially in British English. These include nouns which have no singular form*(like clothes), nouns which are not used in the singular with the same meaning (like customs), and some nouns which are more often used in the plural than in the singular (like savings). In some cases, e.g.*antique(s), drug(s), usage is divided, and both singular and plural forms are found. In general, plurals are becoming more common in this structure. Examples:

  • a clothes shop
  • a glasses case
  • a customs officer
  • arms control
  • a savings account
  • the accounts department
  • the sales department
  • the outpatients department (of a hospital)
  • a drinks cabinet
  • a goods train (British English)
  • a sports car
  • a greeting(s) card
  • an antique(s) dealer/shop
  • the drug(s) problem
  • the arrival(s) hall (at an airport)

Note also that singular nouns ending in -ics can be used before other nouns.

  • athletics training
  • an economics degree

We use the plurals men and women to modify plural nouns when they have a ‘subject’ meaning; man and woman are used to express an ‘object’ meaning. Compare:

  • men drivers (= men who drive)
    women pilots (= women who fly planes)
  • man-eaters (= lions, tigers or other animals that eat people)
    woman-haters (= people who hate women)

Articles​

Articles belonging to the first (modifying) noun are dropped in noun + noun combinations.

  • army officers (= officers in the army)
  • a sun hat (= a hat that protects you against the sun)

More than two nouns​

More than two nouns can be put together. A group of two nouns can modify a third noun, these can modify a fourth, and so on.

  • oil production costs
  • road accident research centre

This kind of structure is very common in newspaper headlines (see here) because it saves space.

  • FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT PROTEST

Pronunciation​

Most noun + noun combinations have the main stress on the first noun.

  • a ˈbicycle factory
  • a ˈfruit drink
  • ˈski boots
  • ˈcoffee beans

However, there are quite a number of exceptions.

  • a garden ˈchair
  • a fruit ˈpie

The difference between noun modifiers and adjectival modifiers is sometimes shown by stress. Compare:

  • a ˈGerman teacher (noun modifier: a person who teaches German)

  • a German ˈteacher (adjective modifier: a teacher who is German)

To be sure of the stress on a particular combination, it is necessary to check in a good dictionary. Note that there are occasional British–American differences.

note

For the stressing of road and street names, (see here).

Spelling​

Some short common noun + noun combinations are generally written together like single words.

  • bathroom
  • toothbrush
  • seaside

Other combinations are generally written separately (e.g. furniture shop, railway station). Sometimes usage varies (e.g. lampshade or lamp shade), but except with very short common combinations like bathroom, it is usually acceptable to write the two words separately. Noun + noun combinations often used to be written with hyphens (e.g. spectacle-case), but this is now unusual.

note

For more information about the spelling of different kinds of compounds, (see here).

For information about the most common current spelling of particular noun + noun expressions, see a good dictionary.

Other structures​

Not all compound ideas can be expressed by a noun + noun structure. Sometimes it is necessary to use a structure with of or another preposition; sometimes a structure with possessive ’s is used.

  • a feeling of disappointment (not a disappointment feeling)
  • letters from home (not home letters)
  • cow’s milk (not cow milk)
note

For more details, (see here).