在英语合成词中，合成名词(compound nouns)数量很多，而且可以按照既定规律自行构造新词。
合成名词构造法主要有下列八种：
①名词+名词，如
daybreak, sunrise, cattleshed, house-keeper, shoe-maker, headache, night-club, pocket-knife, arm-chair, wine-glass, ink-stand, man-servant, maid-servant, steamboat, goldsmith, newspaper, lawsuit等。
②形容词+名词，如
blackboard, commonweath, highway, stronghold, sweetheart, easy-chair, grandson, blueprint, deadline, high-brow, lazy-bones等。
③动词+名词，如
drawbridge, grindstone, playground, pickpocket, breakfast, cut-throat, makeshift, sing-song, turn-coat, washbasin 等。
④副词虚词+名词，如
afterthought, offshoot, outbreak, byway, bylaw, outpost, overcoat, underclothes, outgrowth, downpour, upkeep, bystander等。
⑤副词虚词+动词，如
income, outlet, outlook, onset, outfit, upstart, inlet, offspring, outburst, offset等。
⑥动词+副词，如
die-hard, breakdown, drawback, set-up, break-up, farewell, standstill, feedback等。
⑦名词+动名词，如
book-keeping, town-planning, letter-writing, word-building, tiger-hunting, paper-manufacturing, bill-collecting, car-repairing, television-advertising, window-shopping, day-dreaming, photocopying, handwriting等。
⑧其他，如
man-of-war, forget-me-not, son-in-law, mother-in-law, commander-in-chief, editor-in-chief, merry-go-round, hide-and-seek, stay-at-home, jack-in-the-box等。
在这8种构词法中，第7类“名词+动名词”最富生命力。此外，动名词还可以下列三形式构成合成名词：
㈠动名词+名词，如
drinking water, listening material, fishingrod, waiting-room, looking-glass, stepping-stone, running mate 等。
㈡动名词+副词虚词，如
swearing-in, going-over
㈢副词+动名词，如
uprising, well-being 等。
