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The noun is one word.

He was at his usual hangout.

The verb is two words.

Let's go hang out together.

It always depends on how you are using the word.

Many English verbs that can take a "directional" preposition - shut down, stand by, walk out, etc. - have related nouns and/or adjectives. The rule is very simple: the verb is ALWAYS two words, while the noun or adjective is a single word. Be very careful, because many people unknowingly confuse the two different uses.

Another way to test when you're not sure whether to use one word or two is be to try to make the "-ing" form of the verb (technically called the gerund). If you have to split the verb and preposition to add "-ing", you should be using two words. For example, which is correct?

  1. I want to shutdown my computer.
  2. I want to shut down my computer.

If you try to make a gerund in the first sentence, you'd end up with the gibberish phrases "I am shuttingdown my computer" or worse yet, "shutdowning"! That means the second sentence is correct while the first is not.

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Wiki User

9y ago

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