Discover our guide with the list of blended words to use in your writing. Add some personality to your next writing project or novel with these unique words.
Using blended words spices up writing by combining two words to form another. It’s similar to how parents decide to smash their names together to form their child’s name. These words merge attributes and definitions to describe a contemporary phenomenon. If you’re interested in this topic, you’ll also enjoy our list of action words.
Contents
What Are Blended Words?
Also known as portmanteau words, blended words result from fusing two words with different meanings to form another English word. Most words in the English language originated from ancient Latin, Greek, German or French. But in the 20th century, blended words became popular because they were easy to create. They also became prevalent in the media and online community.
See the common blended words below that you can incorporate into your writing:
Blended Words Printable
| Advertorial | Emoticon | Moped |
| Alcopop | Endorphin | Motel |
| Alphabet | Faction | Motorcade |
| Alphanumeric | Fanzine | Motorcycle |
| Amerind | Frenemy | Multiplex |
| Bash | Forex | Napalm |
| Beautility | Glamping | Newscast |
| Bit | Guesstimate | Pixel |
| Biopic | Ginormous | Sci-fi |
| Blog | Hazmat | Sexting |
| Bollywood | Heliport | Sexploitation |
| Botox | Hi-tech | Sheeple |
| Boxercise | Humongous | Sitcom |
| Brainiac | Infotainment | Skylab |
| Breathalyzer | Infotech | Slanguage |
| Brunch | Internet | Smog |
| Camcorder | Interpol | Spork |
| Chunnel | Jeggings | Sportscast |
| Clash | Keytar | Stan |
| Cosplay | Labradoodle | Staycation |
| Cremains | Laundromat | Telethon |
| Cyborg | Malware | Transistor |
| Docudrama | Metrosexual | Vitamin |
| Dumbfound | Mobike | Vlog |
| Electrocute | Mocktail | Webinar |
| Modem | Workaholic |
Do you want to have a firmer grasp of grammar? Check out the best 15 grammar books to make you a better writer.
Blended Words: Beginning + End of the Word
There are three different kinds of blended words: combining their beginning and end parts. This type is the most common blending, and best describes a portmanteau word.
- Advertisement + Editorial = Advertorial
Most people purchase products seen in the advertorial even if it’s not worth it.
- Bat + Mash = Bash
Don’t do that again, or I’ll bash your head at this table.
- Brain + Maniac = Brainiac
Sometimes it’s hard to talk to a brainiac because they always make me look like an idiot.
- Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch
People think Jamie and Jake are dating because they’re fond of having brunch together.
- Clap + Crash = Clash
I want to tell my cousin that her blue pants clash with her brown shoes, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings.
- Dumb + Confound = Dumbfound
Your story’s surprise ending will dumbfound all of your readers.
- Electro + Execute = Electrocute
It’s a live wire, don’t touch it, or you’ll electrocute yourself.
- Endogenous + Morphine = Endorphin
Smiling helps increase the endorphin level and boost the body’s immune system.
- Fan + Magazine = Fanzine
They’re asking me if I want to have an interview for their fanzine.
- Friend + Enemy = Frenemy
I’m stuck with having to work with her, but since there are still many things we disagree on, you can say Aya is my frenemy.
- Helicopter + Airport = Heliport
We are going to the heliport to shoot our artist’s new music video.
- Information + Entertainment = Infotainment
Entertainment Tonight and The Oprah Winfrey Show are famous examples of infotainment shows in the US.
- Keyboard + Guitar = Keytar
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly keytar, go with Yamaha Vocaloid.
- Malicious + Software = Malware
Investing in a good antivirus helps you protect your devices against different malware attacks.
- Motor + Bicycle = Motorcycle
Mikaela wants to try riding a motorcycle.
- Multiple + Complex = Multiplex
The government said another multiplex would rise in this area next year.
- News + Broadcast = Newscast
I don’t get why my dad likes to watch foreign than a local newscast.
- Smoke + Fog = Smog
The smog has only worsened over the past years, so it’s best to wear a mask daily.
- Sport + Broadcast = Sportscast
James loves watching sportscasts even if he doesn’t play any sport.
- Telephone + Marathon = Telethon
I’m busy now, but we can have a telethon after work. You might also be interested in our list of rhyming words.
Blended Words: Beginnings of Two Words
The Oxford English Dictionary includes “rom-com” in the 20th century (1971). It’s the result of combining the first chunks of two existing words (romance and comedy) to form a shorter term. Here are other short blended words in the dictionary:
- Alcohol + Pop = Alcopop
His friends are teasing him for drinking alcopop at a party.
- American + Indian = Amerind
Amerind is the indigenous language of the native Americans.
- Biography + Picture = Biopic
His new project is to make a biopic of a historian.
- Costume + Play = Cosplay
June is busy looking for the perfect cosplay costume for this Halloween.
- Cybernetic + Organism = Cyborg
Many already predict that in the near future, socializing with a cyborg will just be as ordinary as scrolling through our smartphones.
- Electronic + Mail = Email
The boss asked him to create a separate professional email so he doesn’t miss any messages.
- Foreign + Exchange = Forex
Since the economy is improving, many individuals are investing in forex exchange again.
- Gigantic + Enormous = Ginormous
The new restaurant by the corner sells ginormous burgers at such a low price!
- Hazardous + Material = Hazmat
Be careful because there’s a lot of hazmat in this area.
- High + Technology = Hi-tech
I don’t know how to use our new kitchen appliances; they are all hi-tech!
- Information + Technology = Infotech
Her mom tries to stop her, but Angela is serious about taking college infotech courses.
- International + Network = Internet
She demands the room we should stay in must have an internet connection so she can regularly check up on her work emails.
- International + Police = Interpol
Her husband Gregory has worked at Interpol for ten years.
- Modulator + Demodulator = Modem
It’s our fourth time purchasing a new modem, but our internet is still not working correctly!
- Motor + Pedal = Moped
Calvin’s mom promised she’d buy him a moped for his birthday.
- Naphthenic + Palmitic = Napalm
The government continues to deny using napalm as a chemical weapon.
- Science + Fiction = Sci-fi
The movie “Inception” is the top-rated sci-fi movie of all time on the IMDb website.
- Sexual + Exploitation = Sexploitation
I believe that one day the world and our people will be free from sexploitation.
- Situation + Comedy = Sitcom
Travis dreams of being a sitcom actor, but his parents want him to be a lawyer.
- Video + Log = Vlog
I can’t wait to watch the new travel vlog of my favorite YouTuber Gina! Check out this list of er words.
Blended Words: Overlapping Two Words
The third method for blending words is overlapping. Under this category, there are two ways to combine the words: first is by combining two words that sound alike. For example, Spanish plus English is Spanglish. Another way is by connecting two different words with the same one or two letters in a row. The best example is the word smash, where smack and mash are joined by “ma.” Below are other words to know:
- Beauty + Utility = Beautility
The beautility of the new furniture is impressive; no wonder many people want to buy it.
- Binary + Digit = Bit
A computer with a 64-bit processor is better than a 32-bit, but it still depends on your computer’s use and operating system.
- Botulinum + Toxin = Botox
Even if a botox injection procedure costs about $300 to $600, it’s still prevalent in America.
- Boxing + Exercise = Boxercise
Jake likes to do his boxercise at night to tire himself and rest straight away while avoiding eating more.
- Channel + Tunnel = Chunnel
It’s dangerous, so never try to drive a car or motorcycle through the Chunnel.
- Cremated + remains = Cremains
My grandfather loves the sea and said that when the time comes, he wants us to throw his cremains into the sea.
- Emotion + icon = Emoticon
Jay’s favorite emoticon is the smiling face with sunglasses.
- Fact + Fiction = Faction
Our professor explains that a faction is a story about a historical figure or events with fictional elements.
- Guess + Estimate = Guesstimate
Knowing the bride-to-be and her expensive tastes, I can guesstimate the total expenses for their wedding to be above $30,000.
- Jeans + Leggings = Jeggings
Kyla likes jeggings and often wears them even though they are not the right clothes for where she’s going.
- Labrador + Poodle = Labradoodle
His new dog is a black labradoodle, and it’s cute and scary-looking at the same time.
- Metropolitan + Heterosexual = Metrosexual
Many of Gian’s friends consider him a metrosexual because he spends a lot of money and time on his appearance, grooming, and other refined tastes.
- Mock + Cocktail = Mocktail
I’m the designated driver tonight, so I can only have a mocktail.
- Motor + Hotel = Motel
The sudden storm made it hard to continue driving, so we’ll have to find the nearest motel and stay there tonight.
- Picture + Element = Pixel
The instruction states that videos with a maximum 640 by 480-pixel rectangular screen region can be immediately transmitted.
- Sheep + People = Sheeple
An individual who can’t think for themselves is a sheeple.
- Slang + Language = Slanguage
Even if we’re friends, speaking slanguage with me around the boss is unprofessional.
- Transfer + Resistor = Transistor
Gregory’s dad wants to buy a battery-operated transistor radio.
Common Blended Words
You can use almost everything in blending words, even names like the famous “Brangelina.” Sometimes it’s also a combination of more than two words like “turducken” or turkey + duck + chicken. Check the other examples below for more blended words:
- Alpha + Beta = Alphabet
My daughter is only two, but she can recite the whole alphabet perfectly.
- Alphabetic + Numeric = Alphanumeric
The password required eight alphanumeric characters.
- Web + Log = Blog
If you love writing a blog, you can use it to make money online.
- Breath + Analyzer = Breathalyzer
Please breathe into the breathalyzer so we can check your alcohol level.
- Bombay + Hollywood = Bollywood
Mom enjoys Bollywood movies for their music video-type song numbers.
- Camera + Recorder = Camcorder
I’m saving money to buy the latest camcorder so I can document our future trips.
- Documentary + Drama = Docudrama
The director and producer of the new docudrama are looking for new actors and actresses!
- Glamorous + Camping = Glamping
I’m excited to go glamping with my friends tomorrow!
- Huge + Monstrous = Humongous
Don’t open it! There’s a humongous spider in the closet!
- Laundry + Automat = Laundromat
I’ve been looking for a laundromat around my dorm since yesterday.
- Motor + Bike = Mobike
Mobike is a good transportation option if your workplace is near your house.
- Motor + Cavalcade = Motorcade
The Beauty Queen’s motorcade was supposed to be yesterday, but it was canceled because of the heavy rain.
- Sex + Texting = Sexting
I don’t think it’s appropriate to do sexting with a stranger.
- Sky + Laboratory = Skylab
My son asks if the Skylab is real.
- Spoon + Fork = Spork
Get us a pack of sporks, as they’re more convenient during travels.
- Stalker + Fan = Stan
Fans are debating whether being a stan is the same as stalking.
- Stay + Vacation = Staycation
I want to book a good hotel room with a spa and have a peaceful staycation.
- Vital + Amino Acid = Vitamin
My doctor urged me to take one vitamin a day.
- Web + Seminar = Webinar
We have no school tomorrow but need to attend a webinar in the afternoon.
- Work + Alcoholic = Workaholic
Ria is a workaholic and has no time for herself anymore.
Increase your productivity by creating great habits tailored to your lifestyle. Discover the benefits of writing in the morning and incorporate it into your routine.
