The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. CMOS editors share writing tips, editing ideas, interviews, quizzes, and more! The en dash connects things that are related to each other by distance, as in the May–September issue of a magazine; it’s not a May-September issue, because June, July, and August are also ostensibly included in this range. The en dash derives its name from the … 4. Revised on February 11, 2020. These example sentences could also be written with a colon or a semicolon. It comes most commonly in pairs and has a function similar to parentheses (i.e. Terms of Use
A. I will try to condense the various bits of information scattered throughout CMOS. Now, that is a rather fussy use of the en dash that many people ignore, preferring the hyphen. These example sentences could also be written with parentheses or commas. First of all, there are three lengths of what are all more or less dashes: hyphen (-), en dash (–), and em dash (—). The long dash is used to create emphasis. En dash: – Em dash: — 2em dash: ⸺ Dashes that set off text and replace alternative punctuation The EN DASH and the EM DASH can be used to set off an augmenting or explanatory word or phrase in a sentence that could stand alone without the insertion. Examples where an em-dash should be used: School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and ’rithmetic. Em Dash vs. En Dash: A Quick and Simple Guide March 19, 2017 July 18, 2011 by Vappingo In the battle of the em dash vs. the en dash it is critical that writers are aware of the major differences between the two punctuation marks and that they ensure they use them correctly and in the appropriate format in their written documents. or amplification (“expanding”) of an idea. The en dash (–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (—). Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. The Em Dash can be typed as two En Dashes. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. The en dash is used to indicate distance. On Windows it's...less simple: you need to use an alt code to get an em dash. Contact Us. Insert an Em or En dash using shortcut keys. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Brackets, commas and colons can act as alternative forms of punctuation. The em dash has several uses. 4. It is a dash longer than an en dash (–) and three times as long as a hyphen (-). Insert an Em or En dash using shortcut keys. The em-dash (“—”) is the longest dash in common use. There are two similar but distinct punctuation marks called dashes: the en dash (– ) and the em dash (— ).In appearance, an en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen (- ), approximately the width of a capital N, while an em dash is slightly longer than an en dash, approximately the width of a … The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. The em dash (— or -- [on an old-fashioned typewriter]) is the most commonly used type of dash and is often simply referred to as a dash. In US usage, En dashes join two numbers that are written numerically, not spelled. Subscribe to The Chicago Manual of Style Online. An em dash can serve as a comma. The dash we are discussing today is the ‘em dash,’ which is the width of an ‘m.’ An em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark. Q. Revised on February 11, 2020. I had a great vacation in Bali — oh! The typical computer keyboard lacks a dedicated key for the en dash, though most word processors provide a means for its insertion. Learn …, What is a pronoun? There are some other less well-known uses for the em dash; for example, the 2-em dash and the 3-em dash. Dashes, on the other hand, emphasize what’s inside them; compare the following sentences: 1. Em dashes and en dashes (— vs –) Published on May 31, 2019 by Amy Luo. So, using our em dash example above of 12px, the en dash would be 6px wide. Em dash. Its use or misuse for this purpose is a matter of taste, and subject to the effect on the writer’s or reader’s “ear.”. Or, it can signal an interruption (see our article on interrupting sentences for more on that!) Note. Grammar. Creating an en dash can be done by either: [ctrl] and the minus sign on the numpad or [alt] 0150 (on the numpad) Em dash. The en dash (–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (—). The em dash (—) and the en dash (–) in English! To create an En dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + minus. Account Management, About the University of Chicago Press
In that example, “pre” is connected to the open compound “World War II” and therefore has to do a little extra work (to bridge the space between the two words it modifies—space that cannot be besmirched by hyphens because “World War II” is a proper noun). Learn how and when to use an en dash in English with useful rules and examples. Of the three similar types of punctuation—hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes—the en dash is generally the least common, and the most confusing. It allows, in a manner similar to parentheses, an additional thought to be added within a sentence by sort of breaking away from that sentence—as I’ve done here. What is an em dash? The dash can also be used to mark off words or statements that are not important to the meaning of the statement. An em dash, or long dash, is used:. It is still used to denote number ranges (please read pp. That’s nonsense. En Dash: Just like em dash, an en dash’s size is the width of the letter ‘N.’ Hyphen: The hyphen is exactly half the size of an en dash. What is the difference in usage between an em dash and an en dash? The em dash is used to However, the pros use these shortcuts:In MS Word: Ctrl + Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled)In Pages: Option/Alt + Hyphen or Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled)Google Docs is typographically more basic, but if you use Google Docs a lot, you should take the time to set up a shortcut like those above by going to Tools>Preferences. A hyphen’s main job is to let the reader know that two or more words in a sentence are linked together.The most common use is in a compound adjective— two or more adjectives joined together to modify the same noun—that comes before the noun. It separates distinct parts of a sentence by adding a discernable pause that’s stronger than a comma, but not as abrupt as a colon, semicolon or pair of parentheses. The em dash is used for marking of unimportant words. Is that your dog? (Based on CMOS recommendations outlined in this blog post.) Learn how and when to use dashes with examples and ESL worksheets. The en dash is used to indicate a range of numbers. Em dash Em dashes are also sometimes used as bullet points in a vertical list in informal writing. Usage. Against all odds, Pete—the unluckiest man alive—won the lottery. It’s quite a versatile punctuation mark, but shouldn’t be used more than twice in a single sentence. It is the width of an ‘m,’ hence the name. Span or range of numbers. Em dash is just one of them. Learn how and when to use dashes in English with this useful chart. In interrupted speech, one or two em dashes may be used: “I wasn’t trying to imply——” “Then just what were you trying to do?” Also, the em dash may serve as a sort of bullet point, as in this to-do list: This explanation is not intended to be exhaustive (for much more, see chapter 6 in CMOS), but I do hope that it helps to frame the different potential of each length of dash. Em-dashes mark a pause, setting one part of a sentence off from the other, as in a parenthetical or appositive (“The weather—which was unseasonably hot—oppressed them.”, “I can think of only one exception—the platypus”). An en dash or en rule (–) is wider than a hyphen (-) and narrower than an em dash (–). 3. It is primarily used to replace “through” or “to” in spans of time and ranges of numbers: I read pages 34–96 last night from 10:00–11:00pm. The en dash expresses a period of time. About The Chicago Manual of Style
The en dash is a symbol (–) that is slightly wider than a hyphen (-). Using AutoCorrect. There are two types of dash. On a Mac, the keyboard shortcut Option + Dash (-) makes an en dash, and Option + Shift + Dash (-) makes an em dash. En dash vs. em dash quiz. If you are looking for an easy way to type this em dash in Word, you’ve come to the right place. Although many people call the hyphen a “dash,” dash refers to another group of horizontal lines in text. Instead, you’ll need to use a shortcut. The em dash has several uses. 2. The two most common dashes are the em dash and the en dash. This method uses the Replace dashes option under Tools > AutoCorrect > Options to replace one or two hyphens, under certain conditions, with the corresponding dash.. Dashes are not hyphens and are used in several ways. An en dash is a mid-sized dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates. Noting that people have proclaimed their love of this punctuation mark with em dash tattoos, the New York Times called it “the bad boy, or cool girl, of … An em dash is mostly used to set apart a phrase or clause. in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph—have been left homeless. En Dash (–) What is the symbol (–) called? Parentheses, however, imply that the information enclosed in them is “optional”; if you don’t read it, you will still understand the sentence as it was intended. It is used in writing or printing to indicate a range or connections. The em dash/ long dash (—) is different from en dash (–) and hyphen (-). You can always use an Insert>Symbol function to insert a proper en dash into your writing. Em Dash (—) vs En Dash (–): When to Use Dashes with Examples, Noun Phrase: Definition, Components and Examples of …, Parentheses () When to Use Parentheses in …, Future Continuous Tense: Definition, Rules and Useful …, Present Continuous Spelling Rules | Useful -ING …, Pronoun | Types of Pronouns with Examples …, Gender of Nouns: Useful Masculine and Feminine …, Position of Adverbs: Adverb Placement in Sentences, Top 100 Commonly Misspelled Words in the …. The rules for using an en-dash are less fixed than for other kinds of punctuation, and some fonts are missing this character altogether.It is less commonly used than the hyphen or the em dash. The dash can also be used in places where a comma would be typically used. There are two types of dash. Em dashes are used to separate phrases—as you would use commas, parentheses, semicolons, colons, ellipses—and isolate ancillary thoughts, offset examples, signal an interruption, or indicate emphasis. The en-dash has become more popular over the years, where traditionally the em-dash was the most common. Use Em Dashes to Set Off Parenthetical Information Learn the noun phrase definition, …, What is a parenthesis? Creating an en dash. Look at them together below to choose for yourself:en-dash: By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity – another man’s, I mean.em-dash: By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity—another man’s, I mean. En dashes are also used to connect a prefix to a proper open compound: for example, pre–World War II. In this section, we are going to …, Present Continuous Spelling Rules – Learn useful spelling rules (-ING …, What is a full stop? One kind of dash that is frequently used is the ‘ en dash,’ which is the width of an ‘n.’ UK usage frequently employs the en dash in the place of the em dash. An em dash, or long dash, is used:. Hyphen, en dash or em dash A hyphen (-) is used to connect two words that function as a particular concept, or when linked together form a particular modifier. To create an Em dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + Alt + minus. An em dash is also known as a long dash. The dash is one of the most important punctuation marks in the English language. 2. Site Map
It allows, in a manner similar to parentheses, an additional thought to be added within a sentence by sort of breaking away from that sentence—as I’ve done here. The em dash also acts as the longest stop or pause in a sentence compared to the other three dashes, which all serve to join parts of sentences rather than break up a sentence and stop the reader. Writers shouldn’t overuse the em dash either; it … No, there is no space either side. The em dash is used to show a break in a sentence. So, the example of em dash shown above is not good examples. An en dash is one-half the width of an em dash. 1. In the following table, the A and B represent text consisting of letters A to z or digits 0 to 9. People tend to prefer the en-dash is it looks cleaner and less heavy in comparison to the em-dash. The Chicago Manual of Style 16th edition text © 2010 by The University of Chicago. Sometimes, an em dash is used in the same manner as a bullet point or to show an interruption between two people engaged in a dialogue. Privacy Policy
Why is it called em dash? To create an En dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + minus. each of them have various roles to play in making the written word comprehensible. The em dash is an incredibly versatile punctuation mark that can be used instead of parentheses, commas, colons, or quotation marks in a sentence. Em Dash (—) Em Dash gets its name from the width of it, which is roughly one ‘M’ long or two ‘N’ long (Em is a typographical unit twice the length of en—and almost the length of capital 'M'). Em Dash: An em dash is useful to display how a person changes his subject mid-sentence or gets interrupted by an external disturbance. The en dash is neglected by many writers except as a substitute for an em dash, and even then it is increasingly replaced with a hyphen to mark a pause or parenthesis, especially online and, less commonly, in print journalism. I didn’t know what to say—which doesn’t happen very often to me—so I just smiled. Learn the Gender of Nouns and …, Placing adverb before or after verb??? The em dash indicates a sudden change of thought in a sentence. On a Mac, the keyboard shortcut Option + Dash (-) makes an en dash, and Option + Shift + Dash (-) makes an em dash. in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph—have been left homeless. An em dash (—) is used as a substitute for a comma, colon, semi-colon or parentheses. An em-dash is typically used as a stand-in for a comma or parenthesis to separate out phrases—or even just a word—in a sentence for various reasons (e.g. Apache OpenOffice provides a convenient way to enter en and em dashes when you are typing. It’s also the longest of the dashes (e.g., hyphen, en dash). 1. Em dashes and en dashes (— vs –) Published on May 31, 2019 by Amy Luo. 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In a sentence word or clause and adds emphasis club of sorts, as writers love to debate its uses! Blog post. used in places where a comma could also be written with parentheses commas! Dash ( — ) is different from en dash ( — ), the. The following sentences: 1 a flock of sparrows – some of them have various roles to play making..., semi-colon or parentheses 2010 by the University of Chicago ’ rithmetic en! Against all odds, Pete—the unluckiest man alive—won em dash, en dash lottery of numbers amplification! Not good examples the typical computer keyboard lacks a dedicated key for the en dash ( )! Punctuation mark sentences could also be used: ‘ the dash is of. The University of Chicago Press Privacy Policy Contact us or clause long dash looks cleaner and less in... Once you hit the space key after the second word, you can type two hyphens together to get em... Read pp represent text consisting of letters a to z or digits 0 9... 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