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What Are Dashes (-, _, ─)

A dash is a little horizontal line that is placed in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that is an underscore). Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like those that a hyphen does.

There are three forms of dashes: em, en, and the double hyphen.

The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter N and the em dash as the length of the letter M. These dashes not only differ in length; they also serve different functions within a sentence.

Em Dashes (—)

The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. Or, it can signal an interruption or amplification of an idea. It is also the longest of the dashes (e.g., hyphen, en dash).


1. In place of a comma (,)

Many writers have adapted the em dash to suit their own purposes. James Joyce—rebel that he was—used the em dash (rather than quotation marks) throughout Ulysses. Emily Dickinson used em dashes (rather than commas) in most of her poetry. These uses are mainly personal style choices.

A set of em dashes can enclose information that would otherwise be set off by commas. They can subtly change the sentence’s meaning.


Examples:

  • You are the friend, the only friend, who came to my party. (Without em dash)
  • You are the friend—the only friend—who came to my party. (Comma replaced by em dash)

2. In Place of Ellipsis (…)

em dash replace ellipsis to create a tone and style writer wished to achieve in their writing.


Examples:

  • Can you call me back … oh, never mind? (Without em dash)
  • Can you call me back—oh, never mind. (Ellipsis replaced by em dash)

3. In place of semicolon (;)

The em dash can join two independent clauses in place of a semicolon. It provides a more casual tone and look.


Examples:

  • An example from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: “Well, nobody could think of anything to do—everybody was stumped, and set still.”
  • It is too early to go to the laundromat; they open at 8 am. (With semi colon)
  • It is too early to go to the laundromat—they open at 8 am. (Semi colon replaced by em dash)
  • The boys want to visit the zoo; Amelia wants to go bowling. (With semi colon)
  • The boys want to visit the zoo— Amelia wants to go bowling. (Semi colon replaced by em dash)

4. In place of colon (:)

It can also replace a colon when introducing phrases, clauses, or examples. This can either soften the sentence or add colour.


Examples:

  • An example from The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson: “Each person is born to one possession which out-values all his others—his last breath.”
  • Hector knows exactly where he wants to go for lunch: the new Greek restaurant! (Colon)
  • Hector knows exactly where he wants to go for lunch—the new Greek restaurant! (Colon replaced with em dash)
  • I have been waiting my whole life for this moment: I am graduating from medical school. (Colon)
  • I have been waiting my whole life for this moment—I am graduating from medical school. (Colon replaced with em dash)

5. In place of parentheses ( )

Em dashes are also used as interrupters in sentences, mostly in blogs and digital content. This adds a casual and conversational tone that readers enjoy, especially when reading online. You can use em dashes to insert commentary on what is written, to add a small joke or witty comment, or to add an example to make what is written more relatable.


Examples:

  • I’d never been to a farm before—well, unless you count my cousin’s backyard chicken coop, which I certainly don’t—and I was excited to learn more about the care of the animals.
  • Jasmine left the store without buying anything—she’d be back one day, after she was a famous songwriter, and would buy the most expensive guitar they had—and took the subway home.

En Dashes

En dashes are slightly shorter in length than em dashes. En dashes may look similar to em dashes, but they function in a much different way.


1. En Dash Indicates Spans of Time or Ranges of Numbers

The en dash is often used to indicate spans of time or ranges of numbers. In this context, the dash should be interpreted as meaning either “to” or “through.”


Examples:

  • The teacher assigned pages 101–181 for tonight’s reading material.
  • The scheduled window for the cable installation is 1:00–3:00pm.
  • The 2015–2016 fiscal year was the most profitable year for the new business.

2. Using the En Dash to Denote a Connection

The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words. Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already hyphenated or when you are using a two-word phrase as a modifier. When the dash is used in this way, it creates a compound adjective.


Examples:

  • The pro-choice–pro-life argument is always a heated one.
  • The Nobel Prize–winning author will be reading from her book at the library tonight.

Hyphen (-)

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that is used to join words or parts of words. It is not interchangeable with other types of dashes.


1. Hyphen with Compound Modifiers:

Use a hyphen in a compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying.



Two-Word Adjectives Before Nouns:

A compound modifier is made up of two words that work together to function like one adjective. Generally, the hyphen is placed only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they are describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out.


Examples:

  • Visit to Amazon forest is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. (Correct)
  • Visit to Amazon forest experience is never to be forgotten. (Wrong)
  • We prefer a pet-friendly hotel to stay. (Correct)
  • Is this hotel pet friendly? (Wrong)

Two-Word Adverb and Adjective

A hyphen is not used when modifier is made up of an adverb and an adjective.


Examples:

  • I do not trust this clearly-unbelievable story. (Wrong)
  • I do not trust this clearly unbelievable story. (Correct)

Don’t use a hyphen when you are combining an adverb and a participle.


Examples:

  • The room was like a heavily-decorated chocolate box. (Wrong)
  • The room was like a heavily decorated chocolate box. (Correct)


Two-Word Compound Modifier with Present And Past Participle

Compound modifiers that include present or past participles follow the same rules as any other compound modifier.


Examples:

  • He is self-taught driver.
  • She is self-made woman.
  • There are some beautiful-looking flowers in the garden.
  • Fast-acting medication can be useful when one has a headache.

Hyphenated Compound Words

Hyphenated compound words are the ones (obviously) with a hyphen between the words. Over time, many hyphenated compounds become closed compounds—teen-ager became teenager Here are a few examples of common hyphenated compound words:


Examples:

  • Mother-in-law
  • Master-at-arms
  • Editor-in-chief
  • Ten-year-old
  • Factory-made
  • Twelve-pack

Closed Compound Words

Hyphenated words tend to become closed compounds (single words with no hyphens) over time. Email instead of e-mail, for example, is increasingly common.


Examples:

  • Notebook
  • Superman
  • Waistcoat
  • Bookstore
  • Fireman

Open Compound Words

Open compounds are typically made up of two nouns that are used together to represent a single idea. “Open” means that there is a space between the two words and no hyphen. A good dictionary is the best place to check whether a compound is open or not.


Examples:

  • Living room
  • Real estate
  • Dinner table
  • Coffee mug

Hyphens and Numbers

Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should be hyphenated when they’re spelled out.

Examples:

  • Thirty-six shades in palette.
  • A hundred and twenty-four pair of shoes.

Hyphen in Compound Adjective with Numbers

When numbers are used as the first part of a compound adjective, use a hyphen to connect them to the noun that follows them. The reader knows that both words function like a unit to modify another noun, in this way. This applies whether the number is written in words or in digits.


Examples:

  • The president of the company gave a 10-minute speech to the employees.
  • He is knowledgeable in thirteenth-century politics.
  • The boy threw a stone at the second-storey window.

However, a hyphen is not required if the number is the second word in the compound adjective.


Examples:

  • He is a victim of Type 2 diabetes.
  • This elevator does not go down to Basement 3.

Hyphen in Compound Adjective with Fractions

When using a fraction (e.g. half or quarter) as part of a compound adjective, it should be hyphenated so the reader understands which fraction is modifying which noun.


Examples:

  • A quarter-million dollars is not a large amount of money indeed.
  • You will need one-third of a cup of flour and an egg.
  • That is a half-baked pizza if I ever seen one!

Hyphen with Prefixes: Ex-, Self-, All-.

Use a hyphen with the prefix ex- (meaning former).


Examples:

  • Adam is Cloe’s ex-president.
  • Ex-mayor still attends council meetings.

Use a hyphen with the reflexive prefix self-.


Examples:

  • They are self-sufficient in daily supplies.
  • The cat looked extremely self-satisfied.

Make sure you don’t confuse the prefix self- with the noun self.


Examples:

  • The self serves no other.

When using all as a prefix, add a hyphen.


Examples:

  • A bad leader thinks of himself as all-powerful.

Hyphens with High or Low

When using high or low as part of a compound adjective, use a hyphen when the compound comes before the noun it’s modifying.


Examples:

  • High-level/low-level
  • High-impact/low-impact
  • Low-flying airplanes contribute to the noise pollution in the area.
  • This car runs best on high-octane gasoline.
  • Low-income families often face more hardships than their higher-income counterparts.