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Dear colleagues,

Is it correct to say a 2-year study, or a 2 year study?

I don't remember the hyphen rule off the top of my head, but it seems to me that the proper form is: a two year study.

3Rs wrote:Dear colleagues,

Is it correct to say a 2-year study, or a 2 year study?

One of my handbooks for writers does recommend using a hyphen when 2 or more prefixes apply to one root word: two-year (2-year)study, four-year program & so on.

We hyphenate compounds when they appear before a noun. For example: fire-resistant curtains, fixed-rate mortgages, out-of-date credit cards. We do this to avoid confusion. Compare the following:

an old furniture salesman -and- an old-furniture salesman

The first one indicates that the salesman is old, while the second is just a person who sells old furniture. In your question, then, two-year study would be correct.