Word Choice – Thank You or Thank-You

Rob’s question: “Is ‘thank you’ a hyphenated word? For example, should I write ‘thank you for your help’ or ‘thank-you for your help’?”

BizWritingTip response: To express gratitude use the two words thank you – without the hyphen.

Example

Thank you for your help.

If you are familiar with British English, you probably learned to write thank-you. However, several years ago, hyphens were dropped from many English words, e.g., bumble-bee, ice-cream, and thank-you.

The only time you should use a hyphen with the word is when you are using it as an adjective.

Example

I need to send them a thank-you gift.
Did you send a thank-you card?

Thank you for reading.