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It is only right to understand the meaning of a word or what it might depict before tearing it apart to discover if it is true or not. Whether the correct word is Co-Founder, Co-founder, or cofounder; it is essential to know its correct definition.

The word simply means one of the numerous people involved in the establishment of a business or an organization. It can also be referred to as a joint founder.

The use of hyphen in British or American English

Unlike British English which places more emphasis and importance on hyphenating a word, American English is quite flexible when it comes to the use of hyphen. Therefore, a British might write down the word “co-founder” with a hyphen and an American might decide to write it down as “cofounder.” It does not make any of it wrong. Hence, the words co-founder vs. cofounder is dependent on whether it is British or American English.

If you’re struggling with these differences, English tutoring online can provide personalized guidance on how to navigate the variations between British and American English.

Proper nouns and incorrect words

A noun denoting a specific place, person, animal, event, or individual entity is known as a proper noun. To use the word Co-Founder (where the word founder is capitalized) should be done when it is being used as a title.

Examples

Incorrect: Jason, the Co-Founder is in the building.
Correct: Co-Founder Jason is in the building.

For this reason, Co-Founder should only be capitalized when used as a title rather than when used in a sentence.

The contextual use of the word Co-founder

To be used in a sentence, Co-founder has to be used at the beginning of a sentence. It should not be used as a title or in the middle of a sentence. Instead, co-founder can be used in the middle of a sentence. Co-Founder can be used as a title, while Co-founder (founder is not capitalized) can be used when you want to begin a sentence. For example, a Co-founder is the same as a joint founder.

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Example of using the word “Co-founder”

Steve Jobs (2015)
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