Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What best describes a compound word?

1. A word that has multiple syllables

2. A word that combines two or more words to create a new or more specific word

3. A word that changes form when pluralized

4. A word with multiple possible pronunciations

The correct answer is: A word that combines two or more words to create a new or more specific word

A compound word is best described as a word that combines two or more words to create a new or more specific word. This definition captures the essence of what a compound word is—formed by merging two distinct words to convey a unique meaning, often representing an action, object, or concept more broadly. Examples include "basketball" (basket + ball) and "toothbrush" (tooth + brush), demonstrating how the individual meanings of the component words come together to form a new idea. The other choices, while they address different aspects of language, do not accurately define compound words. For instance, the notion of a word that has multiple syllables, or one that changes form when pluralized, pertains more to syllabic structure or grammatical categories like nouns rather than the specific concept of compound words. Similarly, a word with multiple possible pronunciations refers to homographs or polysemous words, which do not fall under the definition of a compound word.