But, outside of formal printed publications, this type of en dash is commonly replaced with a simple hyphen. Sometimes, it’s better to simply reword the phrase.Įn dashes are also used to show ranges of numbers, such as times, page numbers, or scores ( I’ll schedule you from 4:30–5:00). But, keep in mind, not all readers will notice en dashes or understand what they mean. For example, the phrase Elvis Presley–style dance moves uses an en dash because Elvis-Presley-style dance moves is awkward “Elvis Presley” isn’t a compound modifier, so hyphenating it looks odd. They’re meant to give you a little extra glue when you have a compound modifier that includes a multi-word element that can’t easily be hyphenated. But, traditionally, en dashes function as a kind of super hyphen. When to Use En DashesĮn dashes, which are about the width of an upper-case N, are often mistaken for hyphens. If you do need to split a word at the end of a line, it’s best to break the word between syllables. Book and newspaper publishers still set type this way, but it’s rarely necessary to manually insert word breaks in your own writing because modern word processors automatically justify and align your text. Hyphens are also commonly used to divide words that fall at the end of a line of text and continue on the next line. When you have a compound modifier that is interrupted by some other word that’s not really part of the modifier, use a suspended hyphen: The -ly is sufficient to show that the compound is a unit of meaning.
#Em dash on keyboard emample plus
There’s one other caveat: don’t use a hyphen when you have a compound modifier that consists of an adverb ending in -ly plus a participle or adjective. If it comes after the noun, leave the hyphen out. They’re also commonly composed of a noun plus a gerund.īut, remember, a compound modifier only needs a hyphen when it comes before a noun. Most often, compound modifiers are made up of an adjective plus a noun or participle. The hyphen shows the reader that the words should be taken together as a descriptor for the noun.
But “a dog-friendly hotel” does contain a compound modifier unless you understand “dog-friendly” as a unit of meaning, the phrase doesn’t make sense. For example, “a big, bright hotel” does not contain a compound modifier because big and bright don’t form a unit of meaning. A compound modifier (also called a phrasal adjective) is made up of two or more words that must be understood as a unit. You should also use a hyphen with a compound modifier before a noun. Email instead of e-mail, for example, is increasingly common. Hyphenated words tend to become closed compounds (single words with no hyphens) over time. But when you’re not sure whether a compound word should have a hyphen or not, check a dictionary or style guide. Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine should also be hyphenated when they’re spelled out. Some compound words, such as self-restraint are hyphenated. Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing always looks great? Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and other writing issues on all your favorite websites. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (-). It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes.Ī dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words.
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