year old vs -year-old

Both "year old" and "-year-old" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Year old" is used when describing someone's age without specifying the number of years, while "-year-old" is used when specifying the exact age of someone or something.

Last updated: March 29, 2024 • 990 views

This phrase is correct when used to describe someone's age without specifying the number of years.

"year old"

Use "year old" when you want to describe someone's age in a general way without mentioning the specific number of years.

Examples:

She is a five-year-old girl.
He is a ten-year-old boy.

Show examples from the web [+]

Includes '100 year old eggs'.
Sokutai Eiko, a twenty year old student.
When he died, I had just turned one year old.
When he passed away he was one year old.
She'll be one year old soon.
Today Svyatkin's son turned one year old.
When Lena was a year old you deserted her.
7 year old boy caused a car accident.
For abducting and molesting an eight year old boy on Stanton.
And Jean, is his eight year old son.
Which is the question most asked by my 8 year old.
Six year old Malin Persson has vanished.
My father having a fourteen year old best friend.
Every tree here is a year old at most.
Some pretty 19 or 20 year old.
He's a six year old child.
And a two year old bos taurus.
She had a black eye from a 1 year old.
He died when we were a year old.
I mean, suddenly got this hot 16 year old girl...

Alternatives:

five years old
ten years old
a child of five years

This phrase is correct when specifying the exact age of someone or something.

"-year-old"

Use "-year-old" when you want to specify the exact age of someone or something.

Examples:

She is a 5-year-old girl.
He is a 10-year-old boy.

Show examples from the web [+]

Claus Damgaard. User name Claudio, 44 -year-old.
His 7 -year-old son had to walk five miles to school every day.
General, Corporal Wetzel's problems stem from his wife's custody of their 1 -year-old child.
This is Mr. Batali, 31 -year-old male...
I've got a 32 -year-old white male Who's got a penetrating knife wound to his abdomen.
He is a 31 -year-old laborer named Anthony Lemaire, who moved to Drummondville a few months ago.
This is a letter from my 1 1 -year-old asking her father to come home.
An 11 -year-old boy with a dead mother and a drunk father.
What he did is the same as putting a gun in the handsof an 8 -year-old kid.
This is hank, 55 -year-old male -
This 16-year-old, and this 1"7"- year-old?
Leo, a 31 -year-old inmate costs $21,000 a year to maintain.
Because -year-old kid who lost his parents is now a 28-year-old man.
Claus Damgaard aka Claudio, 44 -year-old.
My brilliant, blonde, 21 -year-old research assistant.
I just saw a 1 -year-old with pantyhose on.
And then, I met the most beautiful and smart and sensitive, 17 -year-old co-ed you ever saw.
Not really fessing up to how he got the booze just yet... but I'm pretty sure it's not a fake I.D. because he looks like an 11 -year-old milkmaid.
16 years ago 14 -year-old girl jumped in front of a train in Malmö.
They'll say that you fell for a 21 -year-old's conspiracy theory.

Alternatives:

a girl of 5 years
a boy of 10 years
a 5-year-old child

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year old vs -year-old

"year old"

"-year-old"

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