Master the subtle but crucial differences between hyphens (-), en dashes (–), and em dashes (—) to avoid common punctuation mistakes that confuse readers.
Many writers (definitely including myself) struggle with hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes.
I mean, gosh, they look just the same to my eye. ಠ_ಠ
But understanding their distinct purposes can dramatically improve writing clarity. Here’s everything you need to know about these three essential punctuation marks.
What’s the Difference Between Hyphen, En Dash, and Em Dash?#
Let’s start from the overview—
Hyphen (-): The shortest dash, used primarily for compound words and word breaks.
En dash (–): Medium-length dash, roughly the width of the letter “n,” used for ranges and connections.
Em dash (—): The longest dash, roughly the width of the letter “m,” used for emphasis, interruptions, or introduction of explanation and elaboration.
(I just used the em dash in “Let’s start from the overview—”.)
When to Use Hyphens (-)#
Hyphens make several words into one
Hyphens connect words and parts of words. Use them for:
Compound adjectives before nouns:
- “She bought a well-known brand.”
- “The state-of-the-art equipment impressed everyone.”
Compound numbers:
- “Twenty-one students attended the workshop.”
- “The ninety-nine-year-old building needs renovation.”
Prefixes with proper nouns:
- “Anti-American sentiment”
- “Pre-COVID policies”
When to Use En Dashes (–)#
En dashes show “from A to B”
En dashes indicate ranges, spans, or connections between equal elements:
Number ranges:
- “Pages 15–30 contain the key information.”
- “The conference runs May 10–12, 2024.”
Time periods:
- “The 2020–2023 economic data shows interesting trends.”
- “Business hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.”
Geographic connections:
- “The New York–London flight takes eight hours.”
- “The Dallas–Fort Worth airport is massive.”
When to Use Em Dashes (—)#
Em dashes mean “which is” with emphases
Em dashes create emphasis, show interruptions, or replace other punctuation:
Setting off explanatory information:
- “The solution—artificial intelligence—revolutionized our workflow.”
- “Three programming languages—Python, R, and SQL—dominate data science.”
Showing abrupt changes or interruptions:
- “I was thinking about the project when—wait, did you hear that noise?”
- “The meeting was going smoothly until—”
Replacing colons or semicolons for emphasis:
- “She had one goal—becoming a data scientist.”
- “The results were clear—we needed to pivot immediately.”
How to Type Dashes on macOS#
Hyphen (-): Simply press the hyphen key next to the zero (on the top-right of your keyboard).
En dash (–): Press Option + hyphen
Em dash (—): Press Option + Shift + hyphen
Quick Reference Summary#
- Hyphen (-): Compound words, numbers, prefixes
- En dash (–): Ranges, spans, connections (Option + hyphen)
- Em dash (—): Emphasis, interruptions, explanations (Option + Shift + hyphen)
I made this cheatsheet with AI, store it in my notes, and wish I’ll never misuse them again.
(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧