- The prefix non- may be joined to a word by means of a hyphen, which is standard in British usage. In many cases, especially in American usage, non is joined without a hyphen, but a hyphen is preferred if its absence would obscure the understanding or pronunciation of the word. (For example, nonbaseball is relatively common, but noncricket — referring to a primarily British sport — is rare.) Some non- words rarely or never use a hyphen (such as nonentity).
- Unlike un-, non- tends to suggest an absolute negation without the possibility of shades of comparison. For example, "more unkind" sounds quite natural, but "more nonhelpful" does not.
- Non meaning not in phrases taken from Latin and some other languages, non is a separate word and is not hyphenated. Examples: non compos mentis, persona non grata.
- As non- is a living prefix, the list of words having the prefix non- is practically unlimited.
- Non- may be attached to nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs to negate their meaning.
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