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Hyphens versus Dashes
The Difference between a Hyphen and a Dash (with Examples)
What's the difference between a hyphen and dash? Put simply, hyphens are joiners, and dashes are separators. For example:Hyphens are joiners.
- The report has a three-page summary. (Here, the hyphen joins "three" and "page" to show they are one grammatical entity. In this case, the two words form one adjective, known as a compound adjective.)
- She is suspicious of her mother-in-law. (In this example, the hyphen joins "mother," "in," and "law" to show they are one grammatical entity. In this case, the three words form one noun, known as a compound compound.)
Dashes are separators.
- Uranus — just like Venus — rotates from east to west. (In this example, the dashes separate the parenthesis from the rest of the sentence. They are being used as parenthetical_punctuation, such as parentheses or commas.)
- The Great Fire of London took place 2–6 September 1666. (The dash separates the elements in a range (in this case, a date range). The dash is used instead of a "from-to" construction.)
- I demand just one thing — effort. (Here, the dash separates the sentence. It is, in fact, being used like a colon.)
Table of Contents
- Why Hyphens and Dashes Are Important
- Types of Dashes and Hyphens
- The Function of the Hyphen
- The Function of the Em Dash
- The Function of the En Dash
- Printable Test

Types of Dashes and Hyphens
The four main dash-like characters are a hyphen, an em dash, an en dash, and a minus sign. Here they are ordered from the longest to the shortest:Name | Punctuation | How To Get One |
---|---|---|
em dash | — | Ctl + Alt + minus (on the numeric pad) or Alt + 0151 |
minus sign | − | minus (on the numeric pad) |
hyphen | - | - (the key to the right of "0") |
en dash | – | Ctl + minus (on the numeric pad) or Alt + 0150 |
The Function of the Hyphen
Hyphens are joiners. There are never spaces around a hyphen.(1) Hyphens join the words in a compound adjective.
For example:- He owns a three-seater aircraft.
- Are these free-range eggs?
- It is a high-quality hotel.
(2) Hyphens join the words in a compound noun.
For example:- I need some cooking-oil.
- I was just a passer-by.
- The ice-axe broke.
(3) Hyphens join some prefixes to words.
For example:- It is visible under ultra-violet light.
- Please re-evaluate the situation.
- Would you like me to re-press the shirt?
The Function of the Em Dash
The em dash ( — ) is usually an alternative to another punctuation mark. For example:(1) Em dashes can replace colons.
For example:- It depends on one thing — trust.
- It depends on one thing: trust.
(2) Em dashes can replace semicolons.
For example:- It depends on trust — it always has.
- It depends on trust; it always has.
(3) Em dashes can replace three dots used a pause for effect.
For example:- Her credit card was stolen in London and used 8 hours later — in Bangkok.
- Her credit card was stolen in London and used 8 hours later ... in Bangkok.
(4) Em dashes can replace brackets and commas that mark a parenthesis.
For example:- It depends — as my mother used to say — on trust.
- It depends, as my mother used to say, on trust.
- It depends (as my mother used to say) on trust.
(5) Em dashes can replace brackets to credit a quotation.
For example:- "Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils." — Louis Hector Berlioz
- "Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils." (Louis Hector Berlioz)
The Function of the En Dash
The main function of the en dash ( – ) is to show ranges. For example:- 1130–1300
- Saturday–Monday
- 10–12 people
Read more about dashes between numbers.
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