You're staring at a Slack message or a draft of a team charter, and the cursor is blinking right after the letter 'm'. You pause. Is teammate one word? Or should there be a space in there? Maybe a hyphen? It feels like one of those words that looks weirder the longer you look at it. Honestly, it’s one of the most common hiccups in professional writing today. We use it constantly in sports, office culture, and gaming, yet a huge chunk of the population still second-guesses the spelling every single time.
The short answer is simple: teammate is one word. No space. No hyphen. Just eight letters hanging out together.
But the "why" behind it—and why your spellcheck might still be yelling at you—is actually kind of a fascinating look at how the English language evolves. We aren't just talking about a random string of letters here. We’re talking about a "closed compound noun." This happens when two distinct words—team and mate—get married and decide to share a single identity because we use them together so frequently that the space between them starts to feel like a speed bump.
The Evolution of the Word Teammate
English is a bit of a mess. It's basically three languages in a trench coat, and it loves to smash words together. Think about words like notebook, keyboard, or wallpaper. Once upon a time, those were all separate. You had a book for notes. You had a board of keys. But as these objects became ubiquitous, the language tightened up.
Teammate followed that exact same path.
If you go back to 19th-century literature or early sports reporting, you might occasionally see "team-mate" with a hyphen. Hyphens are often the "dating" phase of word evolution. They signal that two words are hanging out, but they aren't quite ready to commit to a full-on merger. By the mid-20th century, however, major authorities like the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary solidified it as a single, closed compound.
Why does this matter? Because in a professional setting, consistency is everything. If you're writing a performance review and you use "team mate" in the first paragraph and "teammate" in the third, it looks sloppy. It suggests you aren't paying attention to detail.
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What the Style Guides Say
Most of us aren't checking the Chicago Manual of Style before we send an email, but for those who do, the verdict is unanimous.
The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, which is the bible for journalists and PR pros, uses "teammate." No hyphen. The APA Style, common in academic and psychological papers, follows the same rule. If you’re writing for a major publication or a corporate blog, "teammate" is the only version that won't get flagged by an editor.
Interestingly, "soulmate" and "roommate" went through the same process. You’d never write "room mate" unless you were talking about a literal friend who happens to be in a room. When the relationship defines the person's role in your life, the space disappears.
Why Your Brain Wants to Add a Space
It’s not just you. People struggle with this because "mate" is a powerful suffix that behaves differently depending on the context.
Consider the word classmate. One word. Playmate. One word. But then you get to things like running mate (the political kind). That's two words. Why? Because the English language likes to keep us on our toes. In political contexts, "running mate" has remained an open compound, likely to maintain the emphasis on the action of "running" for office.
There's also the "visual weight" of the word. "Teammate" has a double 'm' right in the middle. For some people, that looks "clumpy." Our eyes are trained to look for breaks in long strings of letters, and that double 'm' can trick your brain into thinking there should be a break there. It's a visual illusion, nothing more.
Teammate vs. Team Member: Which is Better?
Since we've established that teammate is one word, the next question is usually: should I even be using it?
In the business world, there is a subtle but real shift happening. Many HR departments and corporate "culture" gurus are moving away from the word "teammate" in favor of "team member." This isn't because of spelling. It’s about tone.
"Teammate" carries a heavy sports connotation. It implies a high-intensity, win-at-all-costs environment. For a software startup or a creative agency, that might be exactly the vibe they want. But for a corporate bank or a healthcare provider, "team member" feels more formal and inclusive.
Then you have the tech industry. In many Agile and Scrum environments, you'll hear "contributor" or "collaborator."
Honestly, it's about the "mate" part of the word. In British or Australian English, "mate" is a casual term for a friend. In American English, it can feel a bit informal for a high-level boardroom discussion. If you’re writing a formal contract, use "Team Member." If you’re shouting out a colleague on LinkedIn for a job well done, "teammate" is perfect. It’s warmer. It’s more personal.
Common Misspellings and How to Avoid Them
- Team-mate: This is the most common "wrong" version. It’s outdated. Unless you are writing a period piece set in 1912, lose the hyphen.
- Team mate: This is technically two separate words. If you use this, you are saying "This is a mate (friend) who is on a team." It's clunky and grammatically unnecessary.
- Teammte: The classic typo. Because the 'm' is doubled, people often skip the 'a' or the second 'm'.
If you're really struggling to remember, just think of roommate. You'd never spell it "room-mate." The logic is identical. Double the 'm', close the gap, and keep moving.
The Cultural Weight of a Single Word
Is teammate one word? Yes. But it's also a philosophy.
In 2023, a study by Gartner found that employee "connectedness" was at an all-time low. People feel like cogs, not teammates. When we use the word "teammate" as a single, unified word, it subtly reinforces the idea of unity. A team is a single unit. The spelling reflects that.
When you break the word apart, you break the concept apart.
There’s a reason coaching legends like Phil Jackson or Pat Summitt didn't talk about "individuals who work together." They talked about teammates. The word implies a shared fate. If you're on the court, you win together or lose together. In a modern office, that's still true, even if the "court" is a Zoom call.
A Quick Grammar Check for Other "Mates"
To help you never have to Google this again, here is a quick breakdown of how "mate" usually works in compound words:
- Closed (One Word): Teammate, classmate, roommate, playmate, soulmate, shipmate, schoolmate.
- Open (Two Words): Running mate, stable mate (sometimes), soul mate (older usage, now mostly one word).
Notice a pattern? If it's a social or functional role you hold for a long time, it's almost always one word.
Actionable Steps for Your Writing
If you want to make sure your professional writing is up to 2026 standards, here is how you should handle the teammate situation going forward.
Audit your internal documents. Look at your company's onboarding materials or "About Us" page. If you see a mix of "team member," "teammate," and "team-mate," pick one and standardize it. If you want a modern, approachable brand voice, go with "teammate" (one word). It’s punchy and fits well in UI/UX design because it’s shorter than "team member."
Check your autocorrect settings. Sometimes, older versions of Microsoft Word or custom dictionary settings in browsers will flag "teammate" as an error. If it does, don't let it bully you. Right-click that red underline and select "Add to Dictionary." You are right; the software is wrong.
Consider the context of your audience. If you are writing for a UK-based audience, "teammate" is perfectly acceptable, but "colleague" is often the preferred professional standard. In the US, "teammate" has exploded in popularity in the "Work 2.0" era because it sounds less stiff than "employee."
Watch the double M. When you type it, make sure you aren't "fat-fingering" the keyboard. T-E-A-M-M-A-T-E. It’s a rhythmic word once you get used to it.
At the end of the day, language is a tool for connection. Whether you're writing a sports column, a business proposal, or a quick "thanks" to a coworker, using "teammate" as one word shows you have a grasp on modern English conventions. It's a small detail, sure. But in professional communication, the small details are what build your authority.
Stop overthinking the space. Just type it out, keep it closed, and focus on being the best teammate you can be.
Next Steps for Better Writing:
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- Update your email signatures if you use the term to describe your role.
- Check your LinkedIn "Skills" or "Experience" section for the hyphenated version and remove it.
- Use "teammate" in your next Slack shout-out to get used to the visual of the double 'm'.
The word is teammate. One word. Always.