How To Use Dashes - Blog Posts
Hyphens, en Dashes and em Dashes
Oh- and let’s not forget the minus sign, that thing on your keyboard that can be misused as any one of the above!
It took me a long time to understand the differences.
The minus sign (-)
The hyphen (-)
The en dash (–)
The em dash (—)
Visually, not much in it, is there?
But oh what a difference the length makes!
The minus sign is a mathematical symbol. That’s it. Don’t misuse it for anything else.
The hyphen is used to join two elements to form a compound word, like self-restraint. Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should also be hyphenated when they’re spelled out. Sherlock Holmes-Watson or John Watson-Holmes (interesting to know which one wins in the battle). You should also use a hyphen in a compound modifier before a noun, as in The Crossed Keys Inn was a dog-friendly pub.
The shorter en dash is used when describing ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” It applies to ranges of numbers, such as times, page numbers, or scores (I’ll schedule you from 4:30–5:00). That said, outside of formally printed documents, it is increasingly being replaced with a hyphen, so if you miss this one, Sherlock won’t hang you for it.
The longer em dash (—) is about as wide as the letter M (duh, now I get why it’s called this). It’s used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence. It’s stronger than a comma, but weaker than a period or semicolon.
You can use a pair of em dashes to draw special attention to parenthetical information, as in
Sherlock—who was wearing the same purple shirt of sex—entered the room carrying his violin..
You can use a single em dash to add explanatory or amplifying information, especially when the information is surprising:
I opened the door and there she stood—Eurus, my long lost sister.
Em dashes can also signal a sudden interruption, particularly in dialogue:
“Wait! I forgot to tell you—” The door slammed shut between us and I missed whatever John was trying to say.
Interestingly, there is no firm rule about spaces around the em dash (either word—word or word — word). It’s a matter of style. Whichever style you choose, use it consistently throughout your document.
The em dash is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash, both of which need to be used accurately in legal contracts, for example.
Hyphens, en Dashes and em Dashes
Oh- and let’s not forget the minus sign, that thing on your keyboard that can be misused as any one of the above!
It took me a long time to understand the differences.
The minus sign (-)
The hyphen (-)
The en dash (–)
The em dash (—)
Visually, not much in it, is there?
But oh what a difference the length makes!
The minus sign is a mathematical symbol. That’s it. Don’t misuse it for anything else.
The hyphen is used to join two elements to form a compound word, like self-restraint. Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should also be hyphenated when they’re spelled out. Sherlock Holmes-Watson or John Watson-Holmes (interesting to know which one wins in the battle). You should also use a hyphen in a compound modifier before a noun, as in The Crossed Keys Inn was a dog-friendly pub.
The shorter en dash is used when describing ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” It applies to ranges of numbers, such as times, page numbers, or scores (I’ll schedule you from 4:30–5:00). That said, outside of formally printed documents, it is increasingly being replaced with a hyphen, so if you miss this one, Sherlock won’t hang you for it.
The longer em dash (—) is about as wide as the letter M (duh, now I get why it’s called this). It’s used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence. It’s stronger than a comma, but weaker than a period or semicolon.
You can use a pair of em dashes to draw special attention to parenthetical information, as in
Sherlock—who was wearing the same purple shirt of sex—entered the room carrying his violin..
You can use a single em dash to add explanatory or amplifying information, especially when the information is surprising:
I opened the door and there she stood—Eurus, my long lost sister.
Em dashes can also signal a sudden interruption, particularly in dialogue:
“Wait! I forgot to tell you—” The door slammed shut between us and I missed whatever John was trying to say.
Interestingly, there is no firm rule about spaces around the em dash (either word—word or word — word). It’s a matter of style. Whichever style you choose, use it consistently throughout your document.
The em dash is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash, both of which need to be used accurately in legal contracts, for example.