How do you use dashes in writing?

​Read advice on how to use dashes when writing content and what the rules are concerning the different types of dashes. Sound confusing? It's not, I promise!

​As a writer and proofreader who frequently reads other people's writings, one of the most common punctuation errors I pick up is the use of dashes. There are several types of dashes used in writing, and when it comes to which length to choose from, size does matter!

​Read on to find out what hyphens, en dashes and em dashes are, and how to use them correctly.
​

Hyphen (-)

The hyphen is the shortest dash and is identical to the minus sign. The hyphen is used to link words together, or parts of words, so that the meaning of a word/phrase is clearer. For example:

• one-stop shop
  (What sort of shop is it? A one-stop shop. Without the hyphen, one stop shop might be interpreted as being a single shop selling stops?)
• high-pressure system
  (As opposed to a high pressure system, a pressure system that's situated above our heads?)
• re-form
• (Meaning "recreate". Without the hyphen, the word reform takes on a different meaning, to "make a change in an institution".)
• un-Australian, self-taught, well-known, anti-inflammatory
  (Combining prefixes with words)
• African-American
  (Combining ethnic labels)
• twenty-six, two-thirds
  (Combining numbers)

On your keyboard:
The hyphen is typically to the right of the number zero key, or you can simply press the Minus key on the numeric keypad (the hyphen and the minus sign are the same).

En Dash (–)

The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen, and isn't found on your keyboard. However, do you notice sometimes when typing a hyphen mid-sentence in Word, the hyphen automatically changes to a longer dash? Yep, that's the en dash. It is used to show a range between numbers or values. For example:​​
​

• The community hall will fit 150—200 people.
• 70—80% of tickets have been sold.

​
On your keyboard:
In Windows, hold down the Alt key, then press the numbers 0150.
On a Mac, hold down the Option key, then press the Minus key.
​

​Em Dash (―​)

​The em dash is the longest of the dashes, and is used to indicate a pause for added effect, emphasis, an added thought, or a change in thought. For example:

• The Great Barrier Reef―​the most extensive coral reef system on Earth―​is estimated to be wiped out by 2050.
• If a coral becomes stressed, it will expel its symbiotic algae. Without this, the tissue of the coral animal appears transparent and the coral’s white skeleton is revealed―​hence the term "coral bleaching".

​
On your keyboard:
In Windows, hold down the Alt key, then press the numbers 0151.
On a Mac, hold down the Shift and Option keys, then press the Minus key.

Has this post better helped you to understand the use of hyphens and dashes in your own writing? Or do you still have questions on how to use them in a particular sentence? Leave a comment below and let me know!

​
If you need help with proofreading and editing documents, or other written material, I am a qualified proofreader and would love to assist you. Visit my website for more info, or send me an email!

​​This post was written by Stella Nguyen, a writer and proofreader dedicated to improving everyday use of the English language―one dash at a time.

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