---
title: "Hyphens with Prefixes"
description: "A prefix is an affix (such as anti-, post-, pre-, re- and so on) attached to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. The most common prefix in technical documentation is re-."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/styleguide/tw/hyphens_prefixes.html"
breadcrumb: "Style Guide > Tips and Tricks > Hyphens with Prefixes"
dateModified: "2026-09-03"
---

# Hyphens with Prefixes

A prefix is an affix (such as **anti-**, **post-**, **pre-**, **re-** and so on) attached to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. The most common prefix in technical documentation is **re-**.

The prefix **re-** is added to verbs to indicate the repetition of an action or process, to refer to an action or process that is opposite to the one already mentioned, and to express a change in the position or state of something. For more information, see the [Collins Dictionary](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/re).

Use a hyphen with the prefix **re-** only if both the following conditions are met at the same time:

- You want to indicate the repetition of an action or process.
- Omitting the hyphen causes confusion because the word acquires another meaning.

Also, use a hyphen with a prefix if the prefix ends in the same letter that the root word starts with.

### Examples

1. For security purposes, [re-type]{.mdhl-incorrect} the password at the **Enter Credentials** step.

   For security purposes, [retype]{.mdhl-correct} the password at the **Enter Credentials** step.

2. You can [re-scan]{.mdhl-incorrect} a storage system added to the backup infrastructure. 

   You can [rescan]{.mdhl-correct} a storage system added to the backup infrastructure.

3. In some cases, you may need to migrate the Orchestrator server to another machine or [re-install]{.mdhl-incorrect} it using existing databases. 

   In some cases, you may need to migrate the Orchestrator server to another machine or [reinstall]{.mdhl-correct} it using existing databases.

4. If you [recreate]{.mdhl-incorrect} a location, Veeam Backup & Replication will create an object with a new ID in the database and consider it to be a new location.

   If you [re-create]{.mdhl-correct} a location, Veeam Backup & Replication will create an object with a new ID in the database and consider it to be a new location.

5. You must [reenter]{.mdhl-incorrect} passwords for all credentials records to make sure that backup infrastructure components and jobs work properly after you complete configuration restore.

   You must [re-enter]{.mdhl-correct} passwords for all credentials records to make sure that backup infrastructure components and jobs work properly after you complete configuration restore.