En Dash vs. Hyphen: Learn the Difference and How To Use Each Correctly

The en dash (“–”) vs. the hyphen (“-”) conversation probably wasn’t on your proverbial bingo card, but it’s still a fun one to have, especially when considering the value they bring to different word elements. 

They’re used periodically in written English, though often confused in practice because of their adjacent positions on electronic keyboards and the way they look. 

Before you scream “dash it all!“ and shake your fist at the sky, this blog will explain exactly what an en dash and a hyphen are. I’ll also look at how they’re used, how they came to be and provide practical rules and tips, from separating number ranges to combining concepts and creating keyboard shortcuts. 

Dashes and Hyphens in Punctuation and Writing

While looking similar, hyphens and en dashes are actually distinct punctuation marks that serve different grammatical purposes.

A hyphen (“-”) is used for a variety of purposes. It can represent a minus sign in Math or a person’s professional title (e.g., editor-in-chief), separate numerical digits (like in phone numbers), act as a line break to split up a sentence or join compound words, such as “long-term” or “check-in”. 

An en dash (“–”) is longer than a hyphen (approximately the width of a capital “N”), indicating a range of values or length of time (8 AM – 9 AM) or distance (5 – 10 miles), replacing prepositions like “to” and “through”. 

While these are general rules for hyphens and en dashes, some modern style guides, from the Chicago Manual of Style to the MLA Style Guide, may have different preferences or specific contexts.

Why Does Each Exist?

Even though these essential writing tools may look similar, the en dash and hyphen actually serve different grammatical functions. Hyphens join words into compound terms and en dashes connect related concepts, like time and distance.

The hyphen dates back to the Greek Empire, then gaining prominence with the invention of Gutenberg’s 15th-century printing press, while the en dash originated from 19th-century letterpress printing typography. 

Here are some quick examples of when to use a hyphen and an en dash: 

• Use a hyphen to join compound modifiers before a noun, like “state-of-the-art digital marketing tool.”
• Use an en dash to show a range or relationship between similar concepts, such as “pages 10–15” or the “editor–writer relationship.”

En Dash vs. Hyphen

A hyphen combines words and values into a single concept, while an en dash connects words and values around larger concepts.

Keep in mind that these general guidelines may differ from time to time based on specific style guidance:

• AP style is one of the stricter writing guidelines out there. It skips en dashes altogether, using hyphens only for words, ranges and certain prefixes.

• Chicago style (not to be confused with the pizza) uses hyphens for similar words forming a single concept, like “toll-free call,” and en dashes for time or distance, like “May–June” or “5 – 10 miles.”
• MLA style uses hyphens for compounds built from lowercase open compounds, such as “digital-marketing-based-approach”. Conversely, en dashes are used when one compound adjective is a proper noun, like “pre–Industrial Revolution city.”

Purpose

A hyphen joins words like “well-known author” to create a single concept. On the other hand, an en dash connects value ranges, relationships or similar concepts, such as a “New York–Chicago flight.” 

There are other rules for using hyphens, such as compound adjectives needing hyphens before a noun. For instance, you should put a hyphen between “small” and “business” in the phrase “small business owner” — otherwise people might think you’re discussing a business owner who’s small in size, not someone who owns a small business.

Common/Correct Uses

Here are some of the most common uses for en dashes and hyphens:

Keep in mind that some style guides, including AP Style, discourage using en dashes altogether, preferring to use hyphens, em dashes or simpler wording instead.

Examples of Each

Here are some examples to show you how to use en dashes and hyphens in everyday writing:

Here’s a quick checklist to help you stay on track with these punctuation marks: 

• Use a hyphen to connect words into a single idea.
• Use an en dash to show ranges, relationships and similar concepts, like ages, dates and geographical connections.

What’s an Em Dash?

Longer than both the hyphen and the en dash, the em dash is another distinct punctuation mark.

An em dash (“—”) is roughly the width of a capital “M”, typically replacing commas, colons or parentheses to create emphasis or dramatic pauses. In US English vs. UK English, rules differ a bit: US English regularly uses the em dash, while UK English uses the en dash with spaces before and after instead.

Like the en dash, the em dash originates from wood- and metal-set typography. Today, AP Style dictates that em dashes are to be used for abrupt changes in copy (“but wait — there’s more”), series within a phrase (“I ordered three cupcake flavors — vanilla, chocolate and strawberry — for the party”), quote attribution and in datelines.

Em dashes have also become more controversial with increasing adoption of AI writing tools. This is because platforms like ChatGPT tend to go ham with overuse, which can read as less authentically human content and rub some people the wrong way. This doesn’t mean you can’t ever use the em dash, but it’s best to use discernment, especially when proofreading AI output.

How To Type an En Dash on a Keyboard

You don’t need special software or advanced skills to create an en dash or hyphen. Here’s how to make some on your keyboard with special characters.

Locate Special Characters

With a hyphen, all you have to do is locate its designated button on your keyboard. Here’s how to find special characters for an en dash and em dash across different platforms:

If you’re using Word, you can also configure “AutoCorrect” to replace two consecutive hyphens (–) with an en dash for faster typing.

Create a Keyboard Shortcut

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you create keyboard shortcuts to put a hyphen, en dash or em dash quickly into content.

Take Your Content Writing to the Next Level

I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the en dash vs. the hyphen and learned something along the way. 

Keep practicing how to use both punctuation marks correctly, from using a hyphen to join words into compound terms to an en dash for connecting words and values based on relationships, ranges or connected ideas.

If you’d like to add either punctuation mark into your content more quickly, you can set up a custom shortcut on different systems and platforms, from Word and Google Docs to Windows and Mac.

Using punctuation marks correctly and proofreading consistently can strengthen readability, credibility and editorial consistency across professional content — which is a sure-fire way to ensure good writers become good editors.