![]() We use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. It is significantly longer than the hyphen. When we hear the term dash, most of us picture the em dash. Here, however, our focus is on the two kinds of dashes. Elsewhere on this site, we discuss the use of hyphens to create compound words and hyphenated adjectives. Hyphens, the shortest of the dashes, are used to connect words in compound nouns, verbs, and adjectives.On computer keyboards, the hyphen appears on the bottom half of the key located on the top row between the “0” and the equals mark (=).Ĭorrect hyphenation is often a complicated issue. En-dash: The Nobel Prize–winning scientist was overwhelmed by winning yet another award.Hyphen: The prize-winning entry caused quite a stir in the intelligentsia.En-dash: She was a scholar of the post–World War II novel.Hyphen: She was a scholar of the post-war novel.Compare hyphens and en-dashes in these examples: However, when the compound adjective contains an entity that is made up of multiple words, it’s correct to use an en-dash. Typically, a hyphen is used to connect the words in a compound adjective (see below). Lastly, the en-dash is used in certain types of compound adjectives. ![]() Connection: The train line runs through the Boston–New York–Philadelphia corridor.Direction: The mountain range ran along a north–south line.Conflict: After the election, the liberal–conservative debates continue.It’s also used to express conflict, direction, or connection between groups or concepts, as in the following examples: His sabbatical lasted from May–September.She lived for nearly a century, from 1916–2008.The home team won the game by a final score of 28–14. ![]() The en dash is most frequently used to connect numbered ranges, like dates and scores. They can also be used to signify interruptions or changes in the direction of a thought, as in this example:īy comparison the shorter en dash-taking up the same space on the page as the letter “n”-has fewer, simpler use cases by comparison. Em dash: Beautiful weather, great food, and unique landmarks-she couldn’t have asked for more from this weekend vacation.Colon: Beautiful weather, great food, and unique landmarks: she couldn’t have asked for more from this weekend vacation.With em dashes: The zoo was home to a variety of amazing animals-lions, tigers, and even bears-that pleased the crowds that came to see them each day.Ī single em dash can also be used in place of a colon to make connections between a sentence’s clauses and-just as in the other use cases-add further emphasis:.With parentheses: The zoo was home to a variety of amazing animals (lions, tigers, and even bears) that pleased the crowds that came to see them each day.Just as in the example above, em dashes can be used to add emphasis to the content that they section off: Note in this example how the em dashes add emphasis to the phrase they surround.Įm dashes can also stand in for parentheses.With em dashes: In the end, I finally decided-after a great deal of time, thought, and effort-that I no longer wished to attend the party.Commas-only: In the end, I finally decided, after a great deal of time, thought, and effort, that I no longer wished to attend the party.Especially in sentences that would otherwise contain a great deal of commas, substituting em dashes can help make your writing easier to read. One use case for em dashes is as a substitute for commas. In fact, it might the most versatile punctuation mark there is. ![]() Elevate your writing with real-time, intelligent assistance Learn More The Em Dash (-)Įm dashes get their name from typography: Possessing the same width as the letter “m,” em dashes are a versatile punctuation mark with a variety of uses.
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