Enrich your vocabulary and use our list of 500 Compound Words to gain an understanding of English language and use of words! What are Compound Words ? Compound words are made by joining two or more words ; the combination creates a new word . They can be formed using two nouns, e.g. basketball, two non-nouns, e.g. blowup, or a noun and non-noun, e.g. sunrise. It is important to note that the words do not always keep their original meaning, A compound word , as the name suggests, is a combination of two or more root words . They are combined to form words which mean something different from what the individual words mean. Compound words are an essential part of English vocabulary . They are formed by combining two or more words to create a new word with a different meaning. Understanding compound words will help you improve your vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing skills.