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.
How to Use Em Dashes and EllipsesHeather R. Todd
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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 replace these. Here’s how you use em dashes to replace parentheses. We bought tablecloths in our wedding colors (teal, purple, and yellow) to brighten up...
You don’t have to be too much of a stickler when it comes to dashes—unless you are strictly bound to a writing style such asAPA. Most people are very forgiving, even if they don’t notice that you are using something longer than a hyphen. That said, youshouldstay away from any fo...
1. To replace parentheses Normally, you use parentheses to offset something parenthetical (extra information that is optional to understanding the main idea). Want to add some flair and style to your text? Use em dashes instead, like in this example: ...
And yet, for some reason, there's no em dash symbol on a keyboard. We live in a world where the underscore is represented, but the em dash is not. It's upsetting, to be honest. Everyone has an opinion about how to use em dashes—and their shorter cousins, en dashes—but let's ...
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 ...
Much like substituting commas with em-dashes, you can also do the same for parentheses. There are tradeoffs for using either, so be sure you know what you’re getting into when you use them. First off, parentheses are considered to be much more formal as well as less intrusive. Also, ...
This usage of the en dash can be difficult to understand and get right. If in doubt, use a hyphen or thepunctuation checker. British style: En dashes in place of em dashes You might also see an en dash used in the same way as an em dash, especially inBritish Englishand in less for...