Set Hyphenation Exceptions in LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer provides multiple methods to manage how complex technical terminology, code identifiers, and acronyms break across lines. This guide outlines how to define custom hyphenation rules globally using user-defined dictionaries, apply manual soft hyphens to individual terms, and format text to prevent hyphenation entirely.

Method 1: Define Hyphenation Points in a Custom Dictionary

Creating entries in a user dictionary is the most effective way to apply consistent hyphenation rules for technical words across all your documents.

1. Open LibreOffice Writer and navigate to Tools > Options (Windows/Linux) or LibreOffice > Preferences (macOS).
2. Expand the Language Settings section in the left sidebar and select Writing Aids.
3. Under the User-defined dictionaries section, select an existing dictionary (such as standard [All]) and click Edit, or click New to create a dedicated dictionary for technical terms.
4. In the Word field, type the technical term.
5. Define the allowed hyphenation points by inserting an equals sign (=) where breaks are acceptable (for example, micro=service or poly=mer=i=za=tion).
6. To completely prevent a technical term from being hyphenated, type the word followed by an equals sign at the very end (for example, Kubernetes=).
7. Click New (or Add) to save the entry, then click Close and OK to apply the settings.

Method 2: Insert Soft and Non-Breaking Hyphens Manually

For one-off instances in a document, you can insert special hyphen characters to control word breaks without altering global settings.

• Soft Hyphen (Discretionary Break): Place the cursor inside the word where a break is allowed and press Ctrl + - (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + - (macOS). The word will only hyphenate at this point if it falls at the end of a line.
• Non-Breaking Hyphen: Place the cursor where a hyphen is required but must not break across lines (e.g., in terms like e-commerce or pre-release) and press Ctrl + Shift + - (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + - (macOS).

Method 3: Exclude Specific Terms from Hyphenation via Language Settings

You can stop LibreOffice Writer from applying hyphenation rules to a specific term or code block by disabling language checking for that selection.

1. Highlight the technical term or phrase in your document.
2. Right-click the selected text and choose Character > Character.
3. Go to the Font tab.
4. Open the Language drop-down menu and select [None].
5. Click OK.

Setting the language to [None] prevents the automatic hyphenation engine and spell checker from altering or splitting the selected term.