Hyphens, En Dashes, And Em Dashes 6.6 Flashcards
Hyphen, En Dash, Em Dash visual distinction
Their length
Hyphen -
En Dash –
Em Dash —
Hyphen uses
Use it for:
Compounds
• joining words to make a compound noun (e.g.., “merry-go-round”)
• forming a compound adjective (e.g., “self-employed”)
• double numbers (e.g., “twenty-seven”)
• some prefixes, especially to prevent letter collision (e.g., anti-inflammatory)
• for clarity (e.g., the difference between re-counting a vote and recounting a story)
Also, when a word is split across two lines in a typeset document.
Hyphens with prefixes
Prefixes ex- and self- are always followed by hyphens.
Ex/
Ex-boyfriend
Self-conscious
Prefixes re-, anti-, and un- depends on letter collision and when it’s followed by a proper noun (e.g., anti-Nazi).
Letter collision exception with hyphens
Sometimes when the letter is o.
Ex/
Cooperate, coordinate
The hyphenated forms are accepted so ensure consistency.
Unusual for some words that start with o (e,g., co-ownership)
Hyphens with numbers
• Required when using an age or time span adjectively.
Ex/
Seven-year itch
Or
Fifteenth-century painting
• When writing out numbers 21-99 in full.
Ex/
Twenty-one
*This is adjectively:
Twelve-year-old
When not to hyphenate
• many hyphenated words can be used as closed or open compounds. It’s depends how they are used and the author’s preference.
• When using an open compound as a noun adjunct (attributive noun) to modify another noun.
Ex/
Dinning-room table would be wrong
• compounds formed with the adverb very and ending in -ly are never hyphenated.
Ex/
Quietly-spoken and very-good
Are wrong!
Attributive noun or noun adjunct
A noun that modifies another noun.
Also called qualifying noun or apposite noun
Three primary uses of En Dashes
• Ranges of numbers (e.g., Hebert VIII, King of England 1509–1547)
• Scores (e.g., Ireland won 4–0 against Estonia.)
• Conflicts or connections (e.g., Mason–Dixson line or liberal–conservative debate)
Other uses of En Dashes
• to link words in compound adjectives that already include open compounds or proper nouns
(e.g., an Ivy League–educated senator or a Debbie Harry–like singer).
• spaced en dashes can be used parenthetically or in place of a colon.
Ex/
Debbie Harry – most famous for fronting Blondie – has released five solo albums.
Debbie Harry has just announced her new live album – Dream Season.
How to type an En Dash
On a Mac, option + -
Em Dash uses
• mainly used to set off parenthetical information and are not generally spaced.
Ex/
Miranda walked to work—the same route as every day—humming a tune.
• At the end of a sentence to introduce extra information (like a colon) and are not generally spaced.
Ex/
There is one thing I really can’t stand—punctuation errors.
• In fiction and narrative to suggest interrupted dialogue.
Ex/
…”but I’m pretty sure we need to cut the red wi—“ And then the world exploded.
How to type an Em Dash
On a Mac option + shift + -
Hyphen and dashes variations
Associated Press (AP) Stylebook suggests using a hyphen instead of an en dash for range of dates.
Always check style guides and if no advice is given use the standard rules.
