What is the difference between dash and hyphen

You have a choice between traditional punctuation, often perceived as formal, and using the em dash. The em dash can take the place of a comma to set off a phrase in a sentence.

If you choose the em dash, don't also use a comma. Correct comma replacement: My favorite dog—Emma, the Australian Shepherd—was poisoned by an anonymous neighbor. Incorrect comma replacement: My favorite dog,—Emma, the Australian Shepherd—was poisoned by an anonymous neighbor. Use this to set off an appositive, extra clarifying information, that includes a list separated by commas. Depending on your writing style and audience, you can use an em dash as an alternative to using parentheses, to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside or additional information.

The dashes can increase the focus of the material they separate in the sentence. The Stay Safe conference—which had already been interrupted by three demonstrations the last bordering on violence —was adjourned promptly. The Stay Safe conference—which had already been interrupted by three demonstrations, the last bordering on violence—was adjourned promptly. Use the em dash to replace a colon, especially when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence.

Emory researched different aspects of search query results—knowledge graph, direct quotes from page, videos, and images. Use the em dash to separate a subject, or a series of subjects, from a pronoun that introduces the main clause. When a question mark or an exclamation mark occurs in a sentence, set the phrase off with an em dash. These explanations and examples for the em dash are standard in American usage.

American usage has no space before or after the em dash. Journalism uses Associated Press AP style guidelines. Journalism requires spaces before and after an em dash, unlike most American usage.

The insurgents used a variety of weapons — guns, pistols, revolvers, rifles and semi- automatic weapons — in the attack on the palace. American: However much he tried—and God knows he tried! United Kingdom: However much he tried — and God knows he tried! 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.

When you submit articles, white papers, or manuscripts for publication, your correct usage will help spur acceptance, putting you ahead of your competition. With hyphens and dashes, spellcheck and editing software may misinterpret your meaning.

When in doubt, check a current dictionary and a style guide like the Chicago Manual of Style. Hyphen usage fluctuates. Knowing the current accepted standard will help you write a well-composed article. How do you make em dashes or en dashes? It depends on what type of computer you have. We have written detailed posts on the uses of a hyphen and the uses and types of dashes, which you can review by clicking on the links above. If you are still unsure of which punctuation mark you should use, let eContent Pro help.

Our professional editorial team will review your document and evaluate proper usage of each punctuation mark, as well as a variety of additional grammar and writing issues. Learn more about our copy editing and proofreading. Blog Mailing List Log In. Right, it's everyone's favorite color, so it'll just be smushed together with no hyphen. Let me explain what I mean by that.

So if a compound word could be misconstrued or misunderstood, you just throw in a hyphen or check a dictionary or a style guide. So, okay, so, Paige.

It's like a little enclosure. Well, now sometimes it appears like that. Like that, like C-O-O-P, but if I said something like, "I wanna by my coop from the co-op," like that, it'll end up looking like this. And that's the difference, right. So you're using this to say, oh, you know, this is actually short for cooperative, you know, cause it's operated by a bunch of people working together, as opposed to this word, which is just C-O-O-P. So I made a yellow-green coop with the co-op. A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements.

The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. Generally, hyphens are used to join two words or parts of words together while avoiding confusion or ambiguity.

Consult your dictionary if you are not sure if a hyphen is required in a compound word, but remember that current usage may have shifted since your dictionary was published. There are some cases where hyphens preserve written clarity such as where there are letter collisions, where a prefix is added, or in family relations.

Many words that have been hyphenated in the past have since dropped the hyphen and become a single word email, nowadays.