What is the difference between en dash and em dash

Most newspapers insert a space before and after the dash, and many popular magazines do the same, but most books and journals omit spacing, closing whatever comes before and after the em dash right up next to it. This website prefers the latter, its style requiring the closely held em dash in running text.

How to type one, however, depends on your machine. Mabel the Cat was delighted with the assortment of pastries the new bakery featured, but Harry the Dog—he felt otherwise. The butteriness of the pastries did say something about an appropriate level of commitment to decadence—at least there was that. And the wide range of its hours of operation—6 a. A regular selection of three kinds of croissants—plain, almond, and chocolate—was heartening, both Mabel and Harry agreed.

And Harry was extremely pleased to see the selection of available cakes—both chocolate and yellow butter cake; carrot cake; pound cake; lemon chiffon; and flourless chocolate cake. Harry would never forget the Tuesday that Mabel called him from the bakery, her voice brimming with excitement—the bakery had added cheese Danishes to its selection.

Nor would Harry forget his first bite of the Danish she delivered to him. It was revelatory—it was a cheese Danish nonpareil. The bakery was truly phenomenal.

Although they did miss the mark somewhat with the pineapple upside-down cake Mabel ordered—that is, the cake had clearly been baked right-side up. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, both macarons and macaroons—the panoply of cookie varieties was impressive as well.

In this context, dashes are often used for emphasis or to signal a change in tone:. Note, however, that dashes used in this way are considered more informal than other punctuation marks, so should be used sparingly and selectively in academic writing. The main use of the en dash is to indicate a range of numbers or a span of time. Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.

See editing example. More rarely, an en dash is used in place of a hyphen in a compound adjective. Specifically, an en dash is preferred when one element of the compound is itself an open compound. This usage of the en dash can be difficult to understand and get right. If in doubt, use a hyphen. You might also see an en dash used in the same way as an em dash, especially in British English and in less formal writing.

In this context, the en dash always takes a space on either side:. This usage of the en dash is considered standard in British English though Oxford style prefers the em dash. If you choose to use en dashes in this way, make sure to do so consistently, and to use spaces. A common mistake is using both forms in the same text or spacing the punctuation incorrectly:. Have a language expert improve your writing. Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes.

But, keep in mind, not all readers will notice en dashes or understand what they mean. But, outside of formal printed publications, this type of en dash is commonly replaced with a simple hyphen. The em dash about as wide as an uppercase M , is a relatively artistic punctuation mark, compared to the more technical hyphen and en dash.

An em dash is most often used to indicate a pause in a sentence. The new nurse—who was wearing the same purple scrubs as the old nurse—entered the room with a tray of Jello. You can use a single em dash like a colon to add explanatory or amplifying information, especially when the information is surprising:. I opened the door and there she stood—my long lost sister. Whether or not you use spaces around your em dashes word—word or word — word is a matter of style.

Whichever style you choose, use it consistently throughout your document. Remember, em dashes are not interchangeable with hyphens. Using a single hyphen instead of an em dash can confuse readers and make your writing look unprofessional.