Both em dashes and en dashes have their own distinct uses and can significantly enhance the clarity, emphasis, and style of your writing. Understanding how to correctly use these dashes will empower you to punctuate with precision. The Em Dash — A break in the flow The em dash (—) is ...
First, click where you want to insert the em dash in your document. Type the Unicode value “2014” and press Alt and X simultaneously Word should convert the 2014 into an em dash. Em dashes can support your writing Em dashes can be tricky to master in writing, but inserting them in a...
The en dash is used inconsistently within lots of writing – regardless of how ‘professional’ the writers are. The hyphen, em dash and en dash are everywhere, but most of us don’t know when or why to use them – and different writers use the dashes in different ways. Let’s figure...
A writing coach explains how to properly use em dashes, ellipses, and parenthesesNoah Friedman
When parentheses are used to offset thoughts within a sentence, em dashes can take their place to make your writing less formal. How to Use an Em Dash An em dash is used to offset thoughts in sentences, much like colons, parentheses, and commas. Let’s look at how an em dash can ...
Note, however, that dashes used in this way are considered more informal than other punctuation marks, so should be used sparingly and selectively in academic writing. Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check. Try for free The en dash: Marking a range The main use of the en dash is to indi...
How to Use Dashes Writers have three different dashes at their disposal: the hyphen, the en dash, and the em dash. Most of us are familiar with hyphens and their uses. They’re used to form compound modifiers (such as in “a well-attended event”). We also use them to break a ...
The truth of the matter is that the En-Dash is the easiest to understand and use, and as such, it is the least likely to cause errors and/or confusion. It is also important to realize that the en-dash and the em-dash play completely different roles when it comes to writing. That ...
The rules of when and where to use which kind of dash may seem complex and hard to understand, but they don't have to. Here's your guide to how to use em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens correctly.
Writers use the en dash like this: “To pass the class, Sally needs to score between 80%–90% on the exam.” In contrast, writers use the em dash like this: “Alex needs to pass chemistry—a very difficult class—to graduate this semester.” In English writing, shorter is often bette...