Both spellings are correct. “Reevaluation” is the standard form in American English, written as one solid word with no hyphen. “Re-evaluation” is the more traditional form, common in British English, academic writing, and older style guides.
Neither one is a mistake. The real rule isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about picking one and staying consistent throughout your document.
Form
Where it’s standard
Typical use
Reevaluation
American English
Business, tech, modern web content
Re-evaluation
British English
Academic papers, legal writing, formal reports
What Reevaluation Actually Means
Strip away the spelling debate and the meaning is simple. Reevaluation is the act of looking at something again, usually because new information showed up, circumstances changed, or the first review left something unresolved.
The word breaks down into two parts. “Re-” means again. “Evaluation” means an assessment or judgment. Put them together and you get exactly what it sounds like: a second look, done with fresh eyes.
You’ll see it show up in ordinary sentences like these:
The committee called for a reevaluation of the budget after costs spiked.
Her doctor scheduled a reevaluation for six weeks out.
The teacher agreed to a reevaluation of the final exam scores.
None of those sentences change meaning if you swap in “re-evaluation.” That’s the whole point. The hyphen is cosmetic, not semantic.
Why the Two Spellings Exist
English used to hyphenate compound words far more than it does now. Words like “email,” “cooperate,” and “reelect” all carried hyphens at some point in their history. Over time, as readers grew used to seeing the prefix and root word fused together, the hyphen quietly disappeared.
“Reevaluation” followed the same path. American dictionaries, along with major style guides like AP and Chicago, now list the closed form as standard. British English moved more slowly, and the hyphenated version stuck around longer there, especially in formal and academic writing.
So when you see both spellings in the wild, you’re usually looking at a regional habit, not a grammar error.
Reevaluation vs. Revaluation: Don’t Mix These Up
Here’s where a lot of confusion creeps in. “Reevaluation” and “revaluation” look similar, but they mean two different things.
Reevaluation is general. It applies to almost anything you review a second time: a plan, a decision, a test score, a relationship, a strategy.
Revaluation is specific. It’s a finance and economics term that refers to officially changing the value of something, most often a currency, an asset, or a company’s books.
Term
Field
Example
Reevaluation
General / any field
“We need a reevaluation of the marketing plan.”
Revaluation
Finance, economics, accounting
“The central bank announced a revaluation of the currency.”
Drop one letter and the meaning shifts entirely. If you’re writing about a country adjusting its exchange rate, “revaluation” is the word you want. If you’re writing about anything else being reconsidered, “reevaluation” is almost always correct.
How Reevaluation Shows Up in Different Fields
The word travels well. It shows up in casual conversation and in highly technical writing, just with a slightly different flavor each time.
Business and workplace writing Reevaluation often follows a change in results, budget, or strategy. A quarterly reevaluation of sales targets is a routine phrase in corporate reports.
Education Students and parents often search for “reevaluation” in the context of exam rechecking or grade appeals. A reevaluation here means someone re-examines the original scoring, sometimes changing the grade, sometimes confirming it.
Healthcare Clinicians use it constantly. A physical therapy reevaluation, for example, checks a patient’s progress against the original treatment plan and adjusts it if needed.
Legal and government writing Because precision matters in law, many legal writers still prefer “re-evaluation” with the hyphen. It’s a small habit, but it signals formality and caution around word choice.
Everyday writing In emails, blog posts, and casual documents, the unhyphenated form is by far the more common choice today.
Reevaluation as a Verb: Reevaluate or Re-evaluate
The same spelling logic carries over to the verb form. “Reevaluate” is standard in American English. “Re-evaluate” is the British and more traditional option.
A few working examples:
We will reevaluate the proposal next week.
The board decided to re-evaluate its hiring policy.
After the setback, she chose to reevaluate her priorities.
Past tense follows the same pattern: “reevaluated” or “re-evaluated.” Both are grammatically fine. Pick one and keep using it.
Style Guide Snapshot
If you want a quick reference before you write, here’s how the major authorities land on this.
Source
Preferred Form
Merriam-Webster
Reevaluation (no hyphen)
AP Stylebook
Reevaluation (no hyphen, unless clarity requires one)
Chicago Manual of Style
Reevaluation (no hyphen)
Common British usage
Re-evaluation (hyphen)
Cambridge Dictionary
Lists both, favors context-based usage
The takeaway is straightforward. If you’re writing for American readers or following AP/Chicago style, drop the hyphen. If you’re writing for a British audience, following a house style that prefers hyphens, or working in a field like law where precision trumps brevity, keep it.
When a Hyphen Actually Matters
There are cases where hyphens change meaning entirely, and it’s worth knowing the difference so you don’t accidentally create a different word.
Recover (get better) vs. re-cover (cover something again)
Resign (quit a job) vs. re-sign (sign a contract again)
Reevaluate vs. re-evaluate: no meaning shift here, just style
That last point matters. Unlike “recover/re-cover,” dropping the hyphen from “reevaluation” doesn’t create confusion or change the word’s meaning. That’s exactly why American style guides feel comfortable dropping it.
Quick Tips for Staying Consistent
Pick one spelling before you start writing, not halfway through.
Check your document’s audience: American readers generally expect no hyphen, British readers often expect one.
Search your document for both spellings before you publish or submit anything. Mixed usage reads as careless, even though both forms are technically correct.
Set your spellcheck to the right regional English (US or UK) so it stops flagging the “wrong” one.
Don’t confuse this word with “revaluation.” Different meaning, different context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it reevaluation or re-evaluation?
Both are correct; reevaluation is standard in American English, and re-evaluation is common in British English.
What does reevaluation mean?
It means assessing or reviewing something again, usually after new information or a second look.
Is reevaluation the same as revaluation?
No, revaluation specifically refers to changing the value of a currency, asset, or account in finance.
Can I use reevaluation in academic or exam contexts?
Yes, it’s widely used for rechecking test scores, grades, or research results.
Does the spelling I choose affect meaning?
No, the meaning stays identical either way; the only difference is regional style and consistency.
