Dashes and Hyphens
Three Different Marks
| Mark | Name | Keyboard | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Hyphen | Regular - key | Compound words |
| – | En-dash | Slightly longer | Ranges |
| — | Em-dash | Longest | Interruption, emphasis |
The Hyphen (-)
Compound Adjectives Before Nouns
- A well-known author (but: The author is well known)
- A full-time job
- A high-quality product
- A three-year-old child
Compound Numbers
- Twenty-one to ninety-nine
- One-third of the cake
- A two-thirds majority
Prefixes in Some Cases
- Ex-president Obama
- Self-confident
- Re-examine (to avoid confusion with “reexamine”)
- Anti-inflammatory
Compound Nouns
- Mother-in-law
- Editor-in-chief
- Passer-by
The En-Dash (–)
Ranges
- Pages 10**–**20
- The years 2010**–**2020
- Monday**–**Friday
- 9:00**–**5:00
Connections Between Words
- The London**–**Paris train
- The Democrat**–**Republican debate
- The parent**–**teacher meeting
The Em-Dash (—)
Adding Emphasis
- She was beautiful**—**stunningly beautiful.
- One thing is certain**—**we need to act now.
Interruption or Aside
- My brother**—the one who lives in London—**is visiting.
- The weather**—believe it or not—**was perfect.
Abrupt Change
- I was going to say**—**wait, what was that noise?
- She started to explain**—**but then stopped.
Instead of Colon or Comma
- I need one thing**—**time.
- The answer is simple**—**practice more.
Em-Dash vs. Parentheses vs. Commas
All can set off extra information:
| Punctuation | Emphasis Level |
|---|---|
| Em-dashes | Highest—draws attention |
| Parentheses | Lowest (almost whispered) |
| Commas | Neutral, integrated |
Examples
- He arrived—finally!—at midnight. (emphatic)
- He arrived (finally) at midnight. (downplayed)
- He arrived, finally, at midnight. (neutral)
Common Mistakes
Don’t Hyphenate -ly Adverbs
- ❌ a highly-paid job
- ✓ a highly paid job
Don’t Hyphenate After the Noun
- ✓ A well-known fact (before noun)
- ✓ The fact is well known (after noun)
Hyphens (-), en dashes (–), and em dashes (—) are three different marks. Hyphens join compound words. Em dashes mark a strong break — like this — in a sentence. En dashes show ranges (2010–2020) or connect compound modifiers.