Em dash vs en dash vs hyphen: clear rules and shortcuts

Visual and typographical comparison

Standard typography includes three primary horizontal line marks. Each serves an entirely separate editorial role:

Look at them side by side in a sentence: - (hyphen), – (en dash), and — (em dash). Using the wrong mark signals careless typesetting to publishers, recruiters, and clients.

1. The Hyphen (-): compound words and prefixes

The hyphen is the only one of the three marks found directly on your physical keyboard (located between the zero and equals keys). Use it for:

• Compound adjectives: When two or more words modify a noun together: a well-known author, user-friendly interface, first-class flight. (If the words come after the noun, omit the hyphen: the interface is user friendly).
• Compound numbers: Spelled-out numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine: sixty-five, twenty-two.
• Ambiguity resolution: Clarifying meanings that could be misunderstood: re-cover a couch (put a new cover on) vs recover from illness (get well).
• Phone numbers and identifiers: Separating numeric blocks: 555-0199 or ISBN numbers.

2. The En Dash (–): number ranges and connections

The en dash is approximately half the width of an em dash. Its primary grammatical role is replacing the words “to” or “through”:

• Ranges of numbers and dates: 1939–1945, pages 45–52, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, ages 18–25. Note: never combine an en dash with “from” or “between”. Write from 1939 to 1945 (not from 1939–1945), and between 10 and 20 (not between 10–20).
• Scores and voting results: The team won 3–1, the Senate voted 65–35.
• Equal partnerships and links: Connecting two equal entities: the London–Paris flight, the Mach–Zehnder interferometer, the liberal–conservative debate.
• Compound modifiers with open components: When one of the modifying elements contains two words or a hyphen: post–World War II era or New York–style pizza.

3. The Em Dash (—): dramatic breaks and parentheticals

The em dash is the longest and most dramatic punctuation mark. It creates an emphatic pause in thought, functioning like a stronger comma, a more informal colon, or a less intrusive set of parentheses:

• Parenthetical thoughts: Setting off an emphatic interruption: Three students—Alice, Bob, and Claire—received full scholarships.
• Abrupt pauses or trailing off: In narrative dialogue when a speaker is interrupted: “I only wanted to—” Before he could finish, the door slammed.
• Amplification or explanation: Replacing a colon to deliver a punchline or concluding thought: She had only one true ambition—to master the cello.
• Quotation attribution: Preceding an author's name in blockquotes: — Oscar Wilde.

The great spacing debate: spaces or no spaces?

Whether to put spaces around an em dash depends on the editorial style guide you follow:

• Chicago Manual of Style (and Oxford style): Recommends a closed em dash with no spaces on either side: knowledge—and how we use it—matters. This is the dominant standard in book publishing and academic journals.
• Associated Press (AP) Style: Recommends a spaced em dash with a space on both sides: knowledge — and how we use it — matters. This standard is followed by most newspapers, digital journalists, and blogs.
• British / UK Publishing convention: Many UK publishers prefer a spaced en dash instead of an em dash: knowledge – and how we use it – matters.

Keyboard shortcuts for dashes across all platforms

Explore more dash variations in our dash symbols collection and learn about companion typography rules in our guide on curly quotes vs straight quotes.