Hyphens, en and em dashes
TL;DR
Here's a brief explanation for when to use each dash type:
Hyphen (-)
Joins compound words: "self-aware", "up-to-date"
Splits words across line breaks when necessary
Used in number combinations like phone numbers
Connects prefixes: "pre-existing", "anti-inflammatory"
En dash (–)
Shows ranges of numbers or time: "pages 34–56", "Monday–Friday"
Indicates relationships or connections: "Auckland–Wellington flight"
Used in sports scores: "Auckland FC won 2–1"
Represents "to" in spans: "July–September"
Em dash (—)
Creates a strong break in sentence structure
Sets off parenthetical information—like this example—with more emphasis than commas
Shows interruption in dialogue: "I was about to—" "Stop right there!"
Can replace colons when emphasising the conclusion of a statement
Sometimes used in place of a missing word or name
Each serves a distinct typographical purpose, with the em dash being the most emphatic and the hyphen being the most common connector.
Speaking of using words “interchangeably” (see the previous blog post on editorial vs content calendars being similar but different) punctuation marks en–dash, em–dash, and hyphens are also—and incorrectly—sometimes used interchangeably.
Turns out, each of these symbols has a specific purpose, and knowing when and how to use them can make a significant difference in your writing. Also in the flak you’ll receive from the few people in your office who DO understand and care VERY DEEPLY about the difference and use therewith.
En dash, em dash and hyphens as punctuation marks can be traced back to the 15th century. In the olden-days, back when print had to be set by hand, old-fashioned (OG) typesetters used hyphens, en-dashes and em-dashes to increase typographical clarity and beauty. Yes: beauty. If you know, you know.
Hyphens were the first to appear and used to join words together forming compound words; also used to indicate when a word at the end of a line continues onto the following line.
En dashes and em dashes were introduced later, and their use evolved over time to indicate a break in thought, an interruption in a sentence, or to indicate a range.
Hyphens are the smallest of the three punctuation marks and are primarily used to link words together. For example, in the phrase "self-care", the hyphen connects the two words to form a compound adjective. Hyphens are also used to separate syllables at the end of a line of text.
En dashes are slightly longer than hyphens (the width of the letter ‘N’ in the typeface you’re using) and are primarily used to indicate a range or a connection between two items. For example, in the phrase "pages 20–25," the en dash indicates a range of pages. En dashes can also be used for double-barrelled names such as Mr and Mrs Rotchester–Bowls.
Em dashes are the longest of the three marks (the width of the letter “M” in the typeface you’re using) and are primarily used to indicate a break in thought or a shift in tone. For example, in the sentence "I love the outdoors—it's where I feel most alive," the em dash separates the two clauses and emphasises the speaker's love for the outdoors. Em dashes can also be used to indicate an interruption, as in "The best way to learn a language—no, the only way to learn a language—is to immerse yourself in it."
“ En and em dashes aren’t called that because they’re as wide as a lowercase “n” and a lowercase “m.” They’re called that because those are the specific typography jargon words that refer to the height of a physical piece of type (the “em,” also called the “mutton” to reduce confusion) and half that height (the “en,” also called the “nut”). An em dash was originally as wide as the font is tall. This is no longer fully true, as the modern ability to print without the need for mechanical type has reduced the limitations on what fonts can look like, and some fonts have drifted toward reflecting the widths of an “m” and an “n” in their em and en dashes.”
That’s all very well-and-good, you say, but how to create them for the screen? I don’t have an en key or an em key, only a hyphen/minus key In most word processors, you can create an en dash by typing a hyphen, then a space, and then another hyphen. An em dash can be created by typing two hyphens together, without any spaces. However, some word processors automatically convert two hyphens into an em dash.
I had limited success with this advice so heres my take creating dashes:
Windows: create an en dash by holding the ALT key down and typing 0150 on your numpad
Windows: create an em dash, hold the ALT key down and type 0151 on your numpad
Mac: Option+Shift+Hyphen for em dash
Mac: Option+Hyphen (Option + -) for en dash
iOS/Android: Usually by holding down the hyphen key and select required dash type
HTML peeps can just add – and — like the animals that you are.
Understanding the differences between en dashes, em dashes, and hyphens can make a significant improvement in the clarity and readability of your writing.
Hyphens link words together
En dashes indicate a range or connection between two items
Em dashes indicate a break in thought or a shift in tone.
Bonus content: if this is the first time you’ve heard of ALT key shortcuts, take a look at this article from WebNots.com showcasing ALT key shortcuts - there’s a whole slew of them you might find helpful.
“Closed for Clean-ing” Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
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