Hair stylist or Hairstylist?

November 3, 2006 12:31 PM

Which is the correct spelling of these words: hairstyle or hair style? hairstyling or hair styling? hairstylist or hair stylist?
posted by garyfugere to Writing & Language (6 answers total)

The correct would be 'hair style' but I think you would find the 'hairstyle' is accepted just as much.
posted by popcassady at 12:45 PM on November 3, 2006

My dictionary (Chambers) says hairstyle and hairstylist; dictionary.com suggests that both are acceptable.
posted by Paragon at 12:49 PM on November 3, 2006

On google it is 4,520,000 for hairstyle; 2,470,000 for "hair style" and the suggestion of "Did you mean: "hairstyle."

On earth it is hairstyle; in outer space it is hair style due to zero gravity.
posted by emanresubmud at 12:51 PM on November 3, 2006

Webster's 11th gives hairstyle, hairstyling, and hairstylist.

In English, generally speaking, compounds eventually tend towards being closed (i.e., "online") rather than open ("on line") or hyphenated ("on-line"), though this is an inexact science, and of course there are countless examples of open, hyphenated, and closed compounds in everyday usage. More on the ins and outs of this thrilling editorial question can be found in chapter 7 of the Chicago Manual of Style.
posted by scody at 12:55 PM on November 3, 2006

I see "hairstyle" alot.
posted by flabdablet at 10:31 PM on November 3, 2006

Sorry, I gave my first answer on a drunken hunch. Of course, hairstyle is correct.
posted by popcassady at 3:32 AM on November 4, 2006