A hyphen is a punctuation mark thats used to join words or parts of words. Hyphens and dashes buttericks practical typography. The en dash is a symbol that is slightly wider than a hyphen. The hyphen connects two things that are intimately related, usually words that function together as a single concept or work together as a joint modifier e. It can replace commas, parentheses, or colons, depending on the context of the sentence. You are the friend, the only friend, who offered to help me. It should be noted that dashes are almost never required by the rules of grammar and punctuation. Finally, use an en dash when youre showing connection, direction, or conflict. Its a littleknown fact that dashes come in different sizes. The en dash is used to represent a span of time or dates, or a range of numbers. The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen but not as long as the em dash.
A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash long dash. The emdash the emdash is normally twice as long as the ndash. I am talking about the emdash, which looks like two hyphens connected into one long line. The length of the em dash corresponds to the width of the letter m. In most american print and ebooks, correct em dash formation is done by using two hyphens with no spacing, which then becomes an em dash also called the long dash in most word processing programs as you continue typing. Sep 15, 2016 heres a good strategy to use when trying to decide whether to use emdashes or parentheses in your writing. It is the longest dash, compared to a hyphen or an en dash. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. Grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students.
Hyphen, en dash or em dash a hyphen is used to connect two words that function as a particular concept, or when linked together form a particular modifier. Primarily, they act as connectors of words and phrases within a sentence. How to write fiction em dashes en dashes and hyphens wattpad. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Hyphens, en dashes and em dashes textbroker authors. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. The threehyphen em dash proxy was popular with various publishers because the sequence of one, two, or three hyphens could then correspond to the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, respectively. The en dash is slightly wider than the hyphen but narrower than the em dash.
The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. Note how dashes subtly change the tone of the following sentences. These usually follow the same rules as commas and semicolons but add emphasis. Daily tips for successful writing from grammar girl by.
But if the word from precedes the range, the en dash will not work, and it must be replaced by the. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphen is used to break up words or to join different words to make compound words. In fact, an em is a typographical unit of measurement. Kilowatthour, massproduce, illfavored, tiein, toll free call, twothirds. How to use hyphen, en dash or em dash correctly grammarist. When used as a verb, it means to unleash, set free. Jun 02, 2009 if you go to the latest updates to the blue book of grammar and punctuation on our website hyphens, rule 6, you will find that we have included en dashes in the discussion. A dash will usually replace the words fromto or betweenand. Iea style guide international association for the evaluation of. When typing, putting two hyphens together, with no spaces before or after, creates a dash. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence.
The fund will open its books to annual independent audits. The en dash connects things that are related to each other by distance, as in the mayseptember issue of a magazine. Number ranges the en dash can be used to replace the phrase up to and including, through, and to in. There are two different kinds of dashes, the em dash, and the en dash. The difference between the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash. Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. If you go to the latest updates to the blue book of grammar and punctuation on our website hyphens, rule 6, you will find that we have included en dashes in the discussion. You can tell the en dash is a little wider than the hyphen, but narrower than the em dash. A common myth holds that the en dash is, in fact, the width of a typesetters letter n, whereas the em dash is the width of the letter mthus their names.
Distinguishing among the three the hyphen is the shortest of the three and is used most commonly to combine words compounds such as wellbeing and advancedlevel, for example and to separate numbers that are not inclusive phone numbers and social security numbers, for example. An em dash, or long dash, is used in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence. Otherwise, you may find yourself guilty of making funny punctuation mistakes. This dash is the same length as the letter n, so it is thus called an en dash. Two hyphens gets you an emdash if spaced apart from surrounding words. Heres a good strategy to use when trying to decide whether to use emdashes or parentheses in your writing. Experienced writers know that these marks are not interchangeable. Writing principles usagov platform style guide usagov. The proper formatting of an em dash is a long dash with no spaces on either side. Dec 10, 2014 an em dash is used as you indicated in your questionto separate out some information. Em dashes set apart parenthetical phrases or clauses in a sentence. Aug 22, 2017 the hyphen, en dash and em dash are different lengths, and only the hyphen can be found on your computer keyboard, right next to the zero. En dash definition of en dash by the free dictionary.
What is an em dash and what is an en dash and how do i use them. There are two different dashes, the emdash and the endash. Grammar and punctuation can be tricky when youre writing. En dash basics like the em dash, the en dash received its name from typesetting. The style guide is intended to be read as an interactive pdf, where it can. The hyphen, the endash, and the emdash, it really makes you look smart if you know the. These dashes also work to set apart appositives, like a set of commas or parentheses do. How wordpress handles dashes and hyphens mark on wordpress. And the government worked fastinternet timeto launch it and to keep it. Dashes are usually used to set off information that would be in parenthesis. Style refers to the forms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and other.
Aug 25, 2016 the em dash is the widest of the three dashesits the size of an uppercase m. It used to be the same length as the width of the letter n, but that is not always the case with modern fonts. The typical computer keyboard lacks a dedicated key for the en dash, though most word processors provide a means for its insertion. Oct 24, 2015 the en dash en dash is the slightly wider brother of the hyphen, yet it is narrower than the em dash. Dashes, like commas, semicolons, colons, ellipses, and parentheses, indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. Dashes versus colons grammar girl quick and dirty tips. Em dash this is the dash that was used all throughout the dash section of this packet. Correct em dash formation for ebooks and what about the en. The cms faq on the topic explains the differences between the three as follows. This video explains how to properly use the hyphen, en dash. Hyphens, en dashes, em dashes the chicago manual of style. A hyphen is also used to separate syllables of a word when there is a line break, though this was more prevalent when type was set by hand rather than electronically. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. An emdash is typically used as a standin for a comma or parenthesis to separate out phrasesor even just a wordin a sentence for various reasons e.
This means there is no space either side of the dash. Jul 21, 2017 en dash is slightly wider than the hyphen but narrower than the em dash. May 24, 2010 its a littleknown fact that dashes come in different sizes. En dashaccording to cmos, en dashes which are half the length of the em dash specify any kind of range, which is why they properly appear in indexes when a range of pages is cited e. Learn the uses ofand differences betweendashes and hyphens. Depending on the sentence, the emdash can have a similar function to parentheses, colons, commas, and even semicolons. Hundreds of additional downloadable, interactive quizzes in the sub scription area. The hyphen and the en dash are almost indistinguishable from each other when using normal size fonts. The graduation from hyphen, through en dash, to em dash is useful, which i expect is the reason why the new york times maps it out in the guideline. There are two similar but distinct punctuation marks called dashes. Sep 18, 2017 en dashaccording to cmos, en dashes which are half the length of the em dash specify any kind of range, which is why they properly appear in indexes when a range of pages is cited e. In this use, em dashes are similar to commas and parentheses, but there are subtle differences. Bishop fox cybersecurity style guide pdf, free download how do you. Because early comic book letterers were not aware of the typographic convention of replacing a typewritten double hyphen with an em dash, the double hyphen.
A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. Dash a dash is used to indicate a break or a pause in the sentence. This chapter provides extensive guidelines for grammar and style to help students to. Difference between dash and hyphen compare the difference. Mar 11, 2018 this feature is not available right now. Turns out the em dash also known as an m dash, mrule, the long dash, or, in the grammatical slang circles, mutton, and i am not making that up is just that extended dash you see when there is a break in narration or conversation. An em dash is longer than an en dash and three times as long as a hyphen. Thousands of childrenlike the girl in this photographhave been left homeless. It is used to emphasize a word or set of words in the sentence. The en dash is not interchangeable with the hyphen. If youre not sure what all those dashes are or how to use them, this video clearly explains the differences between the hyphen. The hyphen, en dash and em dash are different lengths, and only the hyphen can be found on your computer keyboard, right next to the zero. Stand up comedy 2018 hilarious live comedy by tarundeep singh.
If you find yourself wanting to throw in a little extra information about a noun in a particular sentence and are not sure whether the parentheses or the emdash is the way to go, read the sentence out loud. A hyphen is usually very short it has its own unicode character, but you can use the hyphenminus instead because it looks the same, a minus is of the same width as the decimal digits and is sometimes a little bit higher than the others, an endash takes approximately the width of the letter n or n, and an emdash takes. Jun 25, 2012 foo2 hyphens, no spacebar foobar endash foo 1 hyphen, spaced bar foo bar endash the last replacement seems misguided, and i wish it werent made or that it were an emdash instead. Apr 24, 2009 a dash interrupts the flow of the sentence and tells the reader to get ready for some important or dramatic statement. Hyphen, en dash, em dash the difference between the hyphen. The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash. Proper use of the em dash, en dash, and hyphen distinguishes you as a competent writer and expands your expressive options. Foo2 hyphens, no spacebar foobar endash foo 1 hyphen, spaced bar foo bar endash the last replacement seems misguided, and i wish it werent made or that it were an emdash instead. Emdash is double the length of endash and is used without spacing on either sides unlike in endash that requires spacing on both ends. Its not interchangeable with other types of dashes. It can add a spiceor a dash, if you willto a sentence by adding emphasis to certain words and phrases. The two main uses of en dashes are to indicate number ranges and to act as a kind of superhyphen for compound modifiers. An em dash is used as you indicated in your questionto separate out some information.
Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes sbl handbook of style. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Type two hyphens with no space between them likethis. If you added a dash to the hobbies sentence it would conceptually read something like this. In most windows programs, you can simply type 2 hyphens and an em dash will be substituted for you. For example, think of those messy openings to our biography articles, with em dashes dividing dates of birth and death, length of reigns etc. In general, the use of the em dash to provide additional information is used when the information is surprising, or the writer wants to give it more emphasis. It can be used as an appositive explanation or for emphasis. To replace a colon, for instance, compare these sentences.
In general, the use of the em dash to provide additional information is used when the information is surprising, or the. How to use the hyphen, en dash and em dash ndash mdash, n. School is based on the three rsreading, writing, and rithmetic. En dash is slightly wider than the hyphen but narrower than the em dash. It is useful and versatile, and too few writers make use of it. Em dashes are versatile and can be used in place of commas and semicolons. When should i use an emdash, an endash, and a hyphen. Most folks know about the hyphen, but fewer are familiar with the em dash and the en dash. Using dashes with times and dates a dash can be used between times and dates. Generally, hyphens are used to join two words or parts of words together. The em dash is the widest of the three dashesits the size of an uppercase m. Generally speaking, the en dash is used to combine, connect, or set items into proportion. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing book.
The emdash is used to denote a sudden break in thought. The en dash en dash is the slightly wider brother of the hyphen, yet it is narrower than the em dash. A dash interrupts the flow of the sentence and tells the reader to get ready for some important or dramatic statement. Much like their distant cousins, the colon and semicolon, dashes can be intimidating even to writers who have a good grasp of grammar. Learn more about the difference between em dashes and en dashes here. Use an en dash to represent a span or range of numbers, like. There are permanent compounds that have found their way into the dictionary henhouse, makeup, notebook. But it is far too strong to use words like incorrect and error for spans that are stated with hyphens. Dont leave the two hyphens if they dont merge to form the em dash.
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