Use a hyphen to connect two words in a compound modifier to clarify meaning, but don't use a hyphen after adverbs ending in -ly (a much-loved aunt but a deeply loved aunt). For whether to hyphenate compound verbs and compound nouns (back-check but backstab; co-occurrence but cooperation; fundraising but fund-raiser), check the dictionary. And remember not to use hyphens in phrasal verbs . When you know how to use a dash correctly, it can be a handy piece of punctuation. The problem is that sometimes it is difficult to know exactly when to use an em dash (—) or an en dash (–).
Generally speaking, an em dash is used to create emphasis or to establish an informal tone. An en dash is common when indicating a range of numbers or creating compound adjectives. Once you know that, mastering the dash isn't hard.
Just remember a few basic rules and your writing will be dashing along in no time. Ask yourself if yourparenthetical remarkwill add nuance and insight to your writing or just confuse the reader. If it's the latter, return the dashes to your punctuation tool bag and use a comma, colon, or semicolon instead, or revise the sentence so that you can omit the dreaded dash. Unlike hyphens and en dashes, there is no definitive rule on using spaces around em dashes or not. Typically, no spaces are used on either side, but it's really a matter of style and writer preference.
Just be sure to stay consistent and limit their appearance to two em dashes per sentence—otherwise you're likely to confuse instead of clarify. Compound words include nouns like president-elect and sister-in-law, verbs like back-paddle and flash-freeze, and adjectives like best-case and top-of-the-line. All of these words rely on the same punctuation by using a hyphen to connect multiple words together. If you are curious about where and when we use hyphens, we have all the information you need to determine where you draw the line when it comes to hyphen usage. An em dash—inserted by typing Control+Alt+Minus between the words it separates—signals an abrupt break in thought.
It can be seen as "surprising" the reader with information. If used judiciously it can mark a longer, more dramatic pause and provide more emphasis than a comma can. If overused, it creates an impression of haste and carelessness and can diminish cohesion in your paragraphs. Think carefully before peppering your papers with them.
Hyphens ("-") connect two words to make a single word. Though they look similar to dashes ("–" and "—"), they serve a different purpose. The dash is a form of punctuation that comes in between words whereas hyphens combine words. Like most components of English punctuation, hyphens have general rules regarding how they should be used. Hyphens are often used to connect adverbs and adjectives when describing a noun. No, it doesn't mean they got in trouble at grammar school, it means that to save space, you can suspend hyphens when you're listing several words describing the same noun.
Let's say Santa found a fire-proof, dog-proof, and soot-proof vest online. So if you were suspending hyphens when listing what type of vest Santa was planning on buying, you'd write that he purchased "the fire-, dog-, and soot-proof vest online." When the modifier comes after the word it modifies, ho hyphen is used. Examples include ¨the man is handsome looking¨ and ẗhe medicine is fast acting. An en dash (–) is very different from a hyphen (-). En dashes are used to show a span or a range, a score, or a conflict/connection between two words.
A hyphen would likely be confused with an en dash when joining words. Remember though that the connection/conflict that en dashes are used for are for nouns generally. The quick and dirty tip for using hyphens is to check a dictionary or style guide. If you don't have one handy, follow the rule that you hyphenate compound modifiers when they come before a noun, and don't hyphenate them when they come after a noun. An en dash (–), which is slightly longer than a hyphen, is generally preferred to connect numbers in formal writing. However, this is a matter of style rather than grammar, and while many style guides recommend using an en dash to signify a range, the hyphen is still commonly used.
In fact, some style manuals, such as the AMA Manual of Style, prescribe the use of hyphens to denote ranges. The use of the hyphen in English compound nouns and verbs has, in general, been steadily declining. Compounds that might once have been hyphenated are increasingly left with spaces or are combined into one word. The em dash can function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis.
How To Use Hyphen In A Sentence Examples Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it. There's really only one rule when it comes to hyphens, but breaking this rule is surprisingly common.
Besides that, any mistakes are largely due to confusing hyphens with em dashes and en dashes. First, we'll highlight the differences between hyphens and em dashes and en dashes, and then we'll take a closer look at the most common mistakes people make when using hyphens. A hyphen is yet another piece of punctuation that can be difficult to use. So often it is confused with em dashes and en dashes because of how similar they all look. 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 (—). A compound modifier is a compound word used to describe a noun that follows it.
Most of the time, compound modifiers are made up of an adjective and a noun or participle. Linking these words with hyphens is necessary so that the reader understands they should be taken together as a descriptor. Writing is all about clarity to help readers understand your business and connect to increase sales, engage readers in articles, or create enticing fiction. Getting grammar details right helps you communicate effectively. From connecting words and concepts to setting off information, correct usage of hyphens and dashes keeps readers focused on your message.
Some circumstances, such as indicating date or number ranges, will always call for en dashes. Others, such as offsetting information or creating a pause, don't always need an em dash. Use dashes to create greater emphasis or to foster an informal tone in your writing. Don't rely on them for situations when another form of punctuation will do. Parentheses also signify a break in thought, but they mark an addition of information rather than an interruption like dashes do.
Rather than a surprise , parentheses are a gentler insertion in your sentence. Also like dashes, parentheses should be used sparingly. Too many can break the clarity and flow of your ideas. Another thing to keep in mind is that they are often seen as casual in tone, so make sure they are appropriate for the style of writing you are using. If not, punctuation marks such as commas are often more academically appropriate.
Computers enable you to make medium and long dashes by entering a code. You can make an en dash by entering ALT plus the code 0150. Entering the code ALT plus 0151 displays an em dash. It's also optional whether you use a space before and after the dash. Some people use a simple hyphen to indicate any type of dash; others use two hyphens. It's your choice, based on the style manual you're following or your own personal sense of style.
But it works very differently from the others, and will only ever be found within words to show that they have been compounded or joined together to form one meaning. Some people may refer to other dashes as a long hyphen, but again this isn't strictly speaking correct. Saying terms like long hyphen simply confuses things already.
It's best to stick with hyphen (-) en dash (–) and em dash (—). Hyphens are also used to attach a prefix to a word. In some situations, hyphens connect adverbs and adjectives to describe a noun. There are no set in stone rules governing which compound words are open, hyphenated, or closed. So when in doubt, it's always best to check a dictionary or consult a style guide.
The use of the hyphen in compound nouns and verbs is declining with time, gradually. The compound words that use hyphens are now left with spaces or they are combined to be on the sword. In the year 2007, most dictionaries were reducing the number of words that use hyphens. The em-dash can be used to replace parentheses, colons, and commas. Generally, using the em-dash makes the writing style more informal—as if you were writing to an old friend.
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. Now that you understand how to use hyphens in a sentence, the focus shifts to dashes.
Dashes are used to insert dramatic parenthetical phrases into your writing. Dashes are also used to add comments in ways that might otherwise be set off by commas, parentheses or brackets. Dashes tend to give your writing more drama and flair. Generations of writers faced a common problem when writing a dash. Remember that using hyphens to combine adverbs and adjectives in this way creates a new word. The placement of hyphens can greatly change the meaning of a word, thus changing the entire sentence.
Let's look at some examples of how removing a hyphen changes the meaning. The symbol (-) is called a hyphen in the English language. A hyphen is a short horizontal line used within words. It is a punctuation mark that is smaller than both the en dash (–) and the em dash (—) and it behaves quite differently in sentences too.
When numbers are used as the first component of a compound adjective, they should be connected with a hyphen to the noun that follows them. This way, the reader understands that both terms function together as a unit to modify another term. Whether it's in words or figures, this rule applies whether or not there is a space between the number and the word following.
Also, while some compound words contain hyphens, others don't (short-lived but shortsighted). The best place to check whether a compound should be hyphenated is the dictionary. The em dash—roughly the width of an upper-case "M"—is often referred to as "the long dash".
While the hyphen and en dash have more specific technical purposes, the em dash is quite versatile and the only one that's a true mark of punctuation. It can act as a more pronounced replacement for commas, semicolons, or colons. It can also set off pauses or interruptions within a text—like parentheses, except with a more emphatic effect that still maintains the natural flow of discourse. In typescript, a double hyphen (--) is often used for a long dash.
Double hyphens in a typeset document are a sure sign that the type was set by a typist, not a typographer. A typographer will use an em dash, three-quarter em, or en dash, depending on context or personal style. The em dash is the nineteenth-century standard, still prescribed in many editorial style books, but the em dash is too long for use with the best text faces. Like the oversized space between sentences, it belongs to the padded and corseted aesthetic of Victorian typography. When a compound modifier follows the term to which it applies, a hyphen is typically not used if the compound is a temporary compound. For example, "A cost-effective method was used" and "The method was cost-effective" (cost-effective is a permanent compound that is hyphenated as a headword in various dictionaries).
When one of the parts of the modifier is a proper noun or a proper adjective, there is no hyphen (e.g., "a South American actor"). I've written many times about my dislike of the hyphen, the most tedious of all punctuation marks. Hyphens connect words, prefixes and suffixes and are generally used to avoid ambiguity. Not sure if you're using the hyphen, en dash, or em dash correctly?
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The main function of hyphens is to separate words into parts, or to combine separate words into a single word to clarify meanings. Hyphens serve to remove ambiguities from sentences. Despite its decreased use, the hyphen remains a norm in compound-modifier structures with some prefixes. Moreover, hyphenation is usually used in justified texts to avoid unnecessary spacing such as in newspaper columns.
The hyphen ‐ is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. Finally, it's important to note that hyphen "rules" are more like the Pirate Code in that they are really more like guidelines. Even the "experts" will disagree about whether or not some words or groups of words should be hyphenated. It's definitely a good idea to double check with the style manual you are using, such as the APA or MLA manuals, and for tricky words, you can consult a good dictionary. As language evolves to include more complex things and ideas, new words are needed. Sometimes, these new words are formed by combining two existing terms, with the combination having an entirely unique meaning.
