For grammatical connections:
* Conjunction: This is the most specific and accurate term for a word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Examples: and, but, or, because, so.
* Preposition: These connect nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentence, often indicating location or time. Examples: on, in, at, to, from.
* Subordinating conjunction: These connect dependent clauses to independent clauses, indicating the relationship between them. Examples: although, because, since, while.
For general connections:
* Connects: A general term that simply means to join or link.
* Links: Similar to "connects," but often implies a closer relationship.
* Unites: This suggests a merging or combining of two or more things.
* Joins: A general term with no specific grammatical function.
For word creation:
* Affix: This is a general term for any word part that is added to a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Examples: prefixes, suffixes.
The best word will depend on the specific context and the type of joining you want to describe.