You may have seen sentences using punctuation like “1990-2000” or “the sky was especially beautiful–splashes of pink, orange, and blue combined to form a radiant canvas.” This type of punctuation is called a dash. There are multiple different types of dashes you might see; the main 3 are hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes. All of these dashes are used for different reasons, but they are most commonly used to make ideas clearer or emphasize something in a sentence. Knowing how to use dashes is an increadibly important skill.
So how should you use each type of dash? This guide will walk you through how to use dashes, the difference between types of dashes, and give you several examples to learn from.
Table of Contents
Types of Dashes and How to Use Dashes Correctly
Hyphen (-)
Hyphens are probably the dash you’ll see most often in English writing, since it’s common when building compound words. Compound words are words that combine two or more words to form a new meaning. While not all compound words are hyphenated, many of them are, such as “mother-in-law” or “check-in.” Similarly, some prefixes (small groups of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning) also use hyphens.
Since hyphen usage varies from word to word, if you aren’t sure you are using them correctly, it’s best to double-check using a dictionary or online.
En Dash (–)
An en dash is mainly used to signify ranges and distances between two numbers or places. For example, when describing a person’s lifespan, you would write it as “1978–2024.” If the sentence is about distance, you might see something like “Calling everyone to flight 350 from London–France” to show the relationship between the two cities in the flight. However, keep in mind that if you used a word like “from” or “between” earlier in the sentence, you do not use an en dash and instead use one of these words to connect the two things.
Em Dash (—)
Em dashes are often used to signify pauses in writing. They function similarly to commas, but em dashes place more emphasis on the pause, usually for dramatic effect. Another thing people use em dashes for is to signify that a sentence has been cut off. Maybe a character in a book lost their train of thought, or was interrupted during a conversation with someone else.
How to Use Dashes to Improve Writing
Dashes help you build much clearer complex sentences, either by making correct pronunciation more apparent or introducing additional meaning by creating compound words. Dashes are also useful for adding drama or expression to writing.
En dashes in particular are very useful for organizing and categorizing numbers or categories, making them crucial in academic settings. They can also help you cut down on words, which is useful for keeping your content crisp and engaging to your audience.
Dashes make your writing feel more conversational. This is particularly relevant when writing dialogue or stories which are meant to be told verbally. Adding moments such as long pauses or interruptions helps enforce conversational dynamics.
Where Writers Commonly Apply Dashes
- Literature and creative writing: You’ll come across all forms of dashes in literature, but the em dash is the most frequently-used. It’s usually used to create dramatic pauses or signify interruptions in a sentence.
- Journalism and blogging: In journalistic writing, you might see hyphens or en dashes used according to grammatical conventions or to establishnumerical ranges of data.
- Academic and professional documents:Â En dashes are incredibly common in academic and professional documents, especially since these writings often involve a lot of numbers.
Examples Showing How to Use Dashes in Sentences
Hyphen Examples
- “Well-known author”
- “Mother-in-law”
- “Long-term”
- “Fifty-three”
- “Ex-wife”
En Dash Examples
- “1990–2000”
- “The New York–London flight”
- “11:00a.m–5:00p.m”
- “1-11”
- “120cm-190cm”
Em Dash Examples
- “He was gone—or so she thought.”
- “I need three things—milk, eggs, and bread.”
- “I just wanted to say tha—”
- “He waited—and searched—but nothing.”
- “There is no time to explai—”
Real-World Scenarios That Highlight How to Use Dashes
Dashes are used all throughout the English language, but some uses help you understand how they work better than others. Books, especially fiction books, are filled with examples of dash usage, especially when it comes to hyphens and em dashes. Watching a movie or tv show with subtitles will give you a better understanding of which compound words use hyphens, and how em dashes make writing feel more conversational.
Business reports also use dashes a lot, especially en dashes. Reading these reports is a great way to understand good use of en dashes. Resumes and other professional documents also commonly include en dashes.
Marketing writing features all 3 dashes, as dashes make it easier to create attention-grabbing content. Slogans in particular often use em dashes for dramatic pauses, or to highlight data.
Conclusion
Dashes are a very common and important aspect of the English language, and knowing when best to use them can make you a more confident and more natural writer. There are several reasons to choose one type of dash over another, but with practice you’ll be able to use each fluidly.
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