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During the editing of Volume 3 of LIT eZINE, my very capable editor brought to my notice that writers are using a hyphen for all kinds of dashes. This post is meant to address the confusing issue of dashes and I dedicate this to Khaya Ronkainen for bringing it up.

The Three Types of Dashes and How to Use Them

Dashes are a confusing lot. Visually, they can sometimes look nearly alike to the eye. In the days of pen and paper, it was rather easier to use them. In the digital world, the problem of dashes is compounded by the fact that the keyboard doesn’t have all of them! Inserting them is a pain and some of us who are not very gadget savvy find it even more difficult.

Read on, for I am going to unravel the mystery of the dashes and make it very easy to use them in every bit of your writing.

Hyphen	En Dash	Em Dash
It is the smallest of all dashes and resembles a small horizontal line.	It is bigger than the hyphen and is the width of the letter N, hence the name en dash.	The longest of dashes, it is the width of the letter M.
A hyphen is a punctuation mark that is used to form compound words. It is also used to divide the last word in print when there is not enough space in the line to fit the entire word.	The en dash is used to indicate a span of time or a range of numbers. It is interpreted as meaning “to” or “through.”	It does not have its own unique uses but takes the place of other punctuation marks like commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons.
Examples: A hyphen is used in compound words like twenty-four, great-uncle, and sister-in-law.	Examples: Please read pages 35–50 She works Mondays–Fridays until 5 pm. We enjoyed breathtaking views of the mountains as we drove across the India–Nepal border.	Examples: Our English teacher—the most capable of all—refused to let any student fall behind. He loves two things—food and adventure sports. The torrential rain—because it came after a period of drought—was welcomed by all.
The hyphen (-) is the only dash that has its symbol on the keyboard, next to the “0” key.	The en dash (–) is written by holding the alt key and typing 0150 from the number pad on the right, both online and in MS Word. In MS Word, it can also be written by holding the alt key and pressing the minus key on the number pad or by using the insert symbols feature. (If this doesn’t work, hit the Number Lock key to make sure that numbers are not locked)	The em dash (—) is written by holding the alt key and typing 0151 from the number pad on the right, both online and in MS Word. In MS Word, it can also be written by holding the ctrl+alt key and pressing the minus key on the number pad or by using the insert symbols feature. (If this doesn’t work, hit the Number Lock key to make sure that numbers are not locked)

Use the dashes in your work with confidence. Post the link in the comments.
Inspire us with your creativity!

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