You’re typing your sentence and need to insert some sort of dash, so your fingers move
to that convenient dash key, and you happily keep typing.
But is the hyphen the correct dash? Should you really use the en dash instead? What about the em dash?
Below, we will explore when to use each.
Hyphen ( - )
The shortest of the three.
Hyphens are used to:
Link two words together.
far-fetched, twenty-three
Use when you want to S-P-E-L-L out a word.
Used when you are showing a character stammering.
“No. Th-that’s ok.”
*Use the en dash between syllables.
Used when the word you are typing needs to continue to the next line.
She could wait for death, or she could try to push the Corrup-
tion back from within the heart of the Creeping Shadow.
*If you have the room, try not to do this. It is not wrong, but it reads better if Corruption is all on one line.
She could wait for death, or she could try to push the
Corruption back from within the heart of the Creeping Shadow.
There is no set rule as to which words need a hyphen and which don’t.
Just make sure you don’t use a space between the words.
Light-blue NOT light - blue
If you want to hyphen light-blue go for it! If you prefer light blue that’s ok to. Just make sure you are consistent throughout your work.
Keyboard Shortcut:
Windows — dash key (-)
Mac — dash key (-)
En dash ( – )
Named because it is the length of the typed letter ‘N.’
We use en dashes for numbers and date ranges. Think of it as replacing the word ‘to’ or ‘vs.’
They will be gone 20 – 30 days.
The score was 10 – 5.
Jenny’s store is open 8:30 am – 6:00 pm.
We are watching the Panthers – Tigers game tonight.
*I have added spaces between my words and en dashes. This is a style choice. You can eliminate those spaces. Again, just be consistent.
Panthers-Tigers 20-30 days
Keyboard Shortcut:
Windows — Alt and type 0150
Mac — Option + Dash
Em dash ( — )
The largest, named because it’s the length of the typed letter ‘M.’
The em dash is used to break a sentence.
Replace a colon.
Don’t try calming him down — he never listens.
Replace parentheses or commas.
The party decorations — banners, ribbons, and balloons — hung from the ceiling beautifully.
It had been a while — I can’t remember how long — since I climbed the tree.
Separate the sentence from examples.
Fruits with the most fiber include — raspberries, bananas, avocados, and pears.
Used at the end of cut off dialogue.
“No! You can’t do —"
*there is NO space between the em dash and the quote mark. Even if you space them apart in other instances.
*I have added spaces between my words and em dashes. This is a style choice. You can eliminate those spaces. Just be consistent.
Keyboard Shortcut:
Windows — Alt and type 0151
Mac — Option + Shift + Dash
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