What is the difference between a hyphen and en dash and an em dash?

Em dashes and en dashes (— vs –) The en dash is approximately the length of the letter n, and the em dash the length of the letter m. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges. The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

What is the difference between a dash and a hyphen?

The dash is often used after an independent clause. The hyphen, on the other hand, is used to join two words together like yellow-green. It usually does not have a space between the words. Also, the dash tends to be slightly longer than the hyphen, and usually would have spaces before and after the symbol.

Is a double dash the same as an em dash?

Em dash. Em dashes — so called because they are (at least historically) the width of the character m — are used for emphasis or interruption. The double hyphen (–) is sometimes used in place of the em dash. You may notice that word-processing programs automatically convert double hyphens into em dashes for you.

When to use em dash en dash?

An em dash or a spaced en dash can be used to mark a break in a sentence, and a pair can be used to set off parenthetical statements. Glitter, felt, yarn, and buttons—his kitchen looked as if a clown had exploded.

When to use a dash hyphen?

A hyphen may be used to connect groups of numbers, such as in dates (see below), telephone numbers or sports scores. It can also be used to indicate a range of values, although many styles prefer an en dash (see examples at Dash > En dash > Ranges of values).

What is em dash in writing?

An em dash is a versatile bit of punctuation that can function like a comma or colon or set of parentheses. The most common uses of em dashes are for bracketing parenthetical information and for adding emphasis. Using em dashes in this way can add real flair and energy to your writing—a dash (aha!) of drama, if you will.

When to use dashes between words?

A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does.