# Compound words that can be split multiple ways **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073 "2007-06-15T00:34:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/1 "2007-06-15T00:34:53Z")
I’ve thought about this ever since I was a little kid and that cartoon Talespin aired. I found it interesting that it could be split between two pairs of letters to form two words: tale-spin and tales-pin. I’m sure the latter pair was unintended, but it’s still kind of interesting. Just a few minutes ago, I read another one (that isn’t a name): groundswell. It can be spilt ground-swell and grounds-well. What are some other examples of this? The split words have to be at least two letters long, no a-pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/2 "2007-06-15T00:38:03Z")
Mangetout = mange tout or man get out ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/3 "2007-06-15T00:53:00Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Mangetout = mange tout or man get out [/QUOTE] Or magnet out, right? Lets see…words that actually apply to the OP… backslash = back slash or backs lash chopstick = chop stick or chops tick doeskin = doe skin or does kin forego = fore go or for ego There are more, I’m sure. I just scanned the first bit of [a list of compound words](http://www.rickwalton.com/curricul/compound.htm) to find these. Then, I got bored. Sorry. My favorite was probably hotshot (hot shot or hots hot). Words with s in the middle seem to be the easiest to break up in multiple ways. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/4 "2007-06-15T01:09:10Z")
[QUOTE=MissMossie] Or magnet out, right? [/QUOTE] Well, that would be an anagram ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/5 "2007-06-15T01:14:39Z")
Along similar lines, if you were to cast a magic spell on a doorway, you would entrance and entrance. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/6 "2007-06-15T01:33:18Z")
Some coworkers can be real cow orkers. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/7 "2007-06-15T01:46:20Z")
I think a really good example is that pain-staking \<\> pains-taking. Most people tend towards the former while the latter is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/8 "2007-06-15T01:48:58Z")
man-slaughter /= mans-laughter This one is interesting because the ‘gh’ in the second word is pronounced in one version and not in the other. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/9 "2007-06-15T01:53:38Z")
**Sun space** **Suns pace** ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/10 "2007-06-15T02:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] man-slaughter /= mans-laughter This one is interesting because the ‘gh’ in the second word is pronounced in one version and not in the other. [/QUOTE] That is interesting. It takes this to a whole other level. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-can-be-split-multiple-ways/408073/11 "2007-06-15T03:01:05Z")
This doesn’t _quite_ fit the criteria of the OP, but it’s interesting and somewhat related. Most people break helicopter into heli- and -copter, but the Greek words from which it derives are _heliko_ – spiral – and _pteron_ – wing. Cool, huh?