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.
So, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about en dashes, how to use them correctly, and just how they differ from the em dash and the hyphen. We’ll also take you through how to type them in different popular programs for windows and mac, because yes, you ...
How Do You Type an En Dash? You can type an en dash on your Mac by hitting option + hyphen (-) 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...
Many writers use a double hyphen in place of an em dash, and you might have noticed that your word processor sometimes will automatically turn them into an em dash. Most word processors have shortcuts for creating en and em dashes. It would be worth your while to search your help menu t...
You're now armed with six ways to use em dashes (and a seventh, if you're feeling bold). But when should youavoidusing an em dash? When to Avoid Em Dashes Em dashes are wonderful little pieces of punctuation, but like any special treat, youcanhavetoo much of a good thing. ...
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...
The Em Dash The AP, which does use em dashes, explains that these punctuation marks are used: To signal an abrupt change. To set off a series within a phrase. Before attribution to an author or composer in some formats. After datelines. ...
They are more formal than em dashes. However, em dashes are more emphatic than colons. When you want to generate strong emotion in your writing or create a more casual tone, use em dashes. Compare these sentences: He is afraid of two things: spiders and senior prom. He is afraid of ...
A writing coach explains how to properly use em dashes, ellipses, and parenthesesNoah Friedman
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 ...