They might all look like lines on a page, but hyphens and dashes serve different purposes. To begin,
a hyphen (-) is shorter than a dash
(–). Hyphens join words together and dashes indicate range. But that's just the beginning.
When to use a dash or hyphen in a sentence?
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.
What is different between hyphen and dash?
What's the Difference Between Dashes and Hyphens? A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that's used to join words or parts of words. … A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. The most common types of dashes are
the en dash (–) and the em dash (—)
.
How do you use dashes in a sentence?
Use dashes
to mark the beginning and end of a series
, which might otherwise get confused, with the rest of the sentence: Example: The three female characters—the wife, the nun, and the jockey—are the incarnation of excellence. Dashes are also used to mark the interruption of a sentence in dialogue: Example: “Help!
What is an example of a hyphen?
Use a hyphen to join two or more words that stand for a single adjective (describing word) before a noun. Examples:
chocolate-covered donuts
.
well-known doctor
.
How do you write a dash?
Em dash and en dash
To create an em-dash on a Windows computer,
hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad
. To create an em-dash on a Mac computer, hold down the shift and option/alt and type -. An en dash is the width of the letter “n” and is expressed in plain text as a hyphen ( – ).
Can you use a dash instead of a comma?
Use Dashes in Place of a Comma
Em dashes
can be used in pairs to replace commas when writing a parenthetical or interruptive phrase. The dashes have a slightly more emphatic feel, making the reader focus on this information that is set inside the special marks.
What is the difference between a hyphen and en dash and an em dash?
The most obvious difference is
the length
. Hyphens are shortest, followed by the en dash, and then the em dash. Fun fact: the en dash is the width of the letter “N”, while the em dash is the width of the letter “M”. A hyphen's main job is to let the reader know that two or more words in a sentence are linked together.
Can you use a hyphen in an email address?
Email service provider (ESP) – based on RFC standards,
email addresses can technically have hyphens and other special characters in the local part
. … Gmail and Yahoo! are two examples of popular providers that prevent users from including hyphens in their email addresses.
What does a dash mean in a sentence?
A dash (—) is
a punctuation mark used to set off an idea within a sentence
and may be used alone or in pairs. Dashes interrupt a thought in a more dramatic way than a phrase enclosed in commas, but less theatrically than parentheses.
What's a hyphen look like?
Alternatively known as a dash, subtract, negative, or minus sign, the hyphen ( – ) is a
punctuation mark on the underscore key next to the “0” key on
US keyboards. Pictured is an example of the hyphen and underscore key on top of the keyboard. … Keyboard help and support.
How do you type a dash on a PC?
Alt codes are basically keyboard shortcuts that don't require you to press many keys at once, but instead require that you hold down the Alt key and then type a specific, multi-digit code on your numpad. To make an em dash,
press and hold Alt, then type 0151
.
What does a dash mean after a word?
The dash (—) is a mark of punctuation used
to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause
or a parenthetical remark (words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence). … “A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses.”
How do you use a dash in an essay?
- To set off material for emphasis. Think of dashes as the opposite of parentheses. …
- To indicate sentence introductions or conclusions. …
- To mark “bonus phrases.” Phrases that add information or clarify but are not necessary to the meaning of a sentence are ordinarily set off with commas. …
- To break up dialogue.
How do I make a dash in Word?
- Click where you want to insert the em dash or en dash.
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
- Click More Symbols. …
- Click the Special Characters tab.
- Click Em Dash or En Dash.
- Click Insert.
- Click Close.
When should I use a dash?
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.
Can you use a dash instead of a semicolon?
Semicolons and dashes are not interchangeable
. Semicolons are used for basically two purposes: (a) To join two clauses that could each stand as an independent sentence, but which you want to tie together. … Note that a semicolon should not be used this way if either clause could not stand as a complete sentence.
What characters are not allowed in an email address?
- Numbers 0-9.
- Uppercase letters A-Z.
- Lowercase letters a-z.
- Plus sign +
- Hyphen –
- Underscore _
- Tilde ~
What is a 3 em dash?
Create an em dash by typing two hyphens without spaces between the hyphens and no spaces before or after the hyphens. Em-dashes are not generally used in formal documents. The en-dash is used between dates and times, and the 3-em dash
is used to signal omitted information in certain (often legal) situations
.
How do you do an en dash on a Mac?
On a Mac, the
keyboard shortcut Option + Dash (-) makes an en dash
, and Option + Shift + Dash (-) makes an em dash. On Windows it's… less simple: you need to use an alt code to get an em dash. If you have a numeric keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.
Can Gmail addresses have hyphens?
Can Gmail addresses have hyphens? The decision by Google to allow or not allow the dash in new email addresses they create is
a Gmail policy
. The dash is considered legal character so they and all other email systems will still send and receive emails that use the dash.
What characters are allowed in a Gmail address?
Special characters
Usernames can contain
letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and periods (.)
. Usernames cannot contain an ampersand (&), equals sign (=), underscore (_), apostrophe (‘), dash (-), plus sign (+), comma (,), brackets (), or more than one period (.)
What do you call these dots?
Those little dots often found in a sentence or quote are called
an ellipsis
. … You can also use an ellipsis to show a pause in speech or the ‘trailing off' of a sentence. You should only use the ellipsis this way in informal writing, however. For example: “Andrew, can you, um…
What kind of dash goes between dates?
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.
Why is a dash called a tack?
According to a reddit.com post, this usage “
originates as a navy term for flag signalling
”: A tackline is a length of halyard approximately 6 feet long; the exact length depends upon the size of flags in use. The tackline is transmitted and spoken as tack and is written as a dash (hyphen) “-“.
Can you use a dash before a list?
Use an
Em Dash
to Bring Focus to a List. When a sentence begins with an independent clause and ends with a list, you can use a colon between the clause and the list. When the list comes first, it's better to use a dash to connect the list to the clause.
