em dash, en dash

Em dashes and en dashes (— vs –) Published on May 31, 2019 by Amy Luo. An en dash is one-half the width of an em dash. Dashes are not hyphens and are used in several ways. It is significantly longer than the hyphen.We use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. In fact, the em dash is named after its length—it’s about the same width as the capital letter M. Its alphabetical cousin, the en dash, is about the same width as the letter N. Figuratively speaking, the hyphen pulled the short end of the stick. In US usage, En dashes join two numbers that are written numerically, not spelled. Why is it called em dash? It’s also the longest of the dashes (e.g., hyphen, en dash). 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. An em dash or a spaced en dashcan be used to mark a break in a sentence, and a pair can be used to set off parenthetical statements. Privacy Policy The Chicago Manual of Style Online © 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017 by The University of Chicago. Learn how and when to use dashes in English with this useful chart. You can always use an Insert>Symbol function to insert a proper en dash into your writing. As you can see, the em dash is the longest of the three, and roughly the width of the letter m, which is how it got its name. Learn the Gender of Nouns and …, Placing adverb before or after verb??? En dash. It is a dash longer than an en dash (–) and three times as long as a hyphen (-). In this section, we are going to …, Present Continuous Spelling Rules – Learn useful spelling rules (-ING …, What is a full stop? Revised on February 11, 2020. 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. Glitter, felt, yarn, and buttons—his kitchen looked as if a clown had exploded. 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. 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. To create an Em dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + Alt + minus. Brackets, commas and colons can act as alternative forms of punctuation. An em dash is also known as a long dash. Learn the noun phrase definition, …, What is a parenthesis? (And yes, the en dash is named because it’s the width of the letter n.). The em dash (—) and the en dash (–) in English! The hyphen connects two things that are intimately related, usually words that function together as a single concept or work together as a joint modifier (e.g., tie-in, toll-free call, two-thirds). The en dash (–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (—). Dashes, on the other hand, em­pha­size what’s in­side them; com­pare the fol­low­ing sen­tences: 1. 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. 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 …. An en dash or en rule (–) is wider than a hyphen (-) and narrower than an em dash (–). There are two types of dash. 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). First of all, there are three lengths of what are all more or less dashes: hyphen (-), en dash (–), and em dash (—). Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. The em dash indicates a sudden change of thought in a sentence. A hyphen is also used to separate syllables of a word when there is a line break, though this was more prevalent when type … The Chicago Manual of Style is a registered trademark of The University of Chicago. 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. Insert an Em or En dash using shortcut keys. 20,000-volume Em dash is just one of them. The en dash often shows range or connections. A flock of sparrows – some of them juveniles – alighted and sang. Twice as long as the en dash, the long dash can be used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence. 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