Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen: When to Use Each

The three horizontal marks

At first glance, the hyphen (-), en dash (–), and em dash (—) look like the same character at different lengths. In reality, they are three distinct Unicode characters with different meanings and use cases. Confusing them is one of the most common typographic mistakes on the web, and getting them right is a small detail that makes a big difference in professional writing.

Quick reference

When to use a hyphen

The hyphen is the character on your keyboard between 0 and =. It is used for:

• Compound adjectives before a noun — "a well-known author," "a high-quality product"
• Compound words — "mother-in-law," "self-esteem," "up-to-date"
• Line breaks — when a word is split at the end of a line (mostly handled automatically by typesetting software)
• Phone numbers — 555-0123 (in informal contexts)

The hyphen joins words together. If you're connecting two things into a single concept, the hyphen is the right choice.

When to use an en dash

The en dash is roughly the width of the letter "N" — wider than a hyphen but narrower than an em dash. Its primary job is to express ranges and connections between items.

• Number ranges — "pp. 10–15," "chapters 3–7"
• Date ranges — "2020–2024," "January–March"
• Scores and versus — "the vote was 4–3," "the New York–London flight"
• Compound adjectives with multi-word elements — "Nobel Prize–winning scientist"

A useful rule of thumb: if you can substitute the word "to" or "through," use an en dash.

When to use an em dash

The em dash is the longest of the three, roughly the width of the letter "M." It serves as a versatile punctuation mark in prose:

• Parenthetical phrases — "The three tools—hyphen, en dash, and em dash—serve different purposes."
• Attribution — "To be or not to be." —Shakespeare
• Interruption in dialogue — "I was going to say—" "Don't bother."
• Introducing a list — "She packed the essentials—passport, wallet, and phone."

Em dashes can replace commas, parentheses, or colons when you want to add emphasis or a dramatic pause. Use them sparingly — overuse dilutes their impact.

How to type them

Many word processors like Google Docs and Microsoft Word will automatically convert two consecutive hyphens (--) into an em dash as you type. Markdown processors vary — some convert -- to an en dash and --- to an em dash, but this is not universal.

Common mistakes

The most frequent errors writers make with dashes:

• Using double hyphens instead of an em dash — Writing "She was tired -- very tired" instead of "She was tired—very tired." Double hyphens are a typewriter-era workaround and look unprofessional in published text.
• Using a hyphen for ranges — Writing "pages 10-15" instead of "pages 10–15." A hyphen means "joined together," not "from one to another."
• Spaces around em dashes — Style guides disagree here. The Chicago Manual of Style uses em dashes with no spaces ("word—word"), while AP style uses spaces ("word — word"). Pick one convention and be consistent.
• Using an em dash for ranges — An em dash is too wide for ranges and can be confused with a parenthetical break. Always use an en dash for ranges.