Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 3)

Hannah Lawrence
woman writing in notepad while looking at laptop computer and smiling
Reading time: 7 minutes

Many people can't tell the difference between the hyphen (-), the en-dash (–), and the em-dash (—). They may look similar but they can all help ensure that your writing looks professional and is easy to read. As an overview:

  • Hyphens improve clarity: there is a big difference between "a man-eating shark" and "a man eating shark".
  • En-dashes and em-dashes share a lot of the same functionality – including allowing for explanations and examples to be shared, and separating clauses – however, they are not interchangeable and their use is often down to personal preference.?

Let's explore what these three different dashes do and how they could improve your writing.?

Understanding hyphens: the basics

Hyphens (-) are the shortest of the three marks, and we use them to connect words that work together to express one idea (also known as "compound adjectives").

A compound adjective is a word like "part-time". We talk about ?"part-time work" and "full-time work": it would be meaningless to talk about just "time work". So, where the other word is essential to express the idea – also called "modifying the word" – they need to be joined with a hyphen.?

Hyphens also add clarity. My friend Joanne owns a small business but if I told you that she is a "small business owner", you might assume that Joanne is both small and happens to own a business. A hyphen comes to the rescue: if I tell you that "Joanne is a small-business owner" then there is no ambiguity.?

To summarize:?we use hyphens to join words that modify another word. In this example, the word "student" is being modified: "She is a 14-year-old student." But, we don't need the hyphen when the subject is isn't being modified: "The student is 14 years old." Other examples:

  • "This is fat-free yogurt" vs. "This yogurt is fat free"
  • "I own a one-third share of the company" vs. "One third of the company is mine"
  • "She lives in a four-storey house" vs. "Her house has four storeys"

What's an En-Dash?

The en-dash (– ) is slightly longer than a hyphen (and you've probably already noticed that it has a hyphen in its name). They have several uses:

Expressing a range or connection

En-dashes can replace words like "between", "to" and "through":

  • The meeting is scheduled for 10:00–11:00 a.m.
  • The offer is valid April–September.?
  • We examined data from 2014–2024.?

For joining two nouns

Use an en-dash to connect two nouns that don't modify each other. For example:

  • The London–Amsterdam train
  • The blood–brain barrier
  • The U.K.–India trade talks

For digressions, clarifications and to separate clauses

En-dashes can be used like commas, colons or parentheses to help you expand upon and explain your writing. They can be used to present extra information, like examples, explanations and facts. For example:

  • We visited many states – including Michigan, Indiana and Ohio – while we were in America.
  • Her idea – although not perfect – worked well enough.
  • The discovery of penicillin – a complete accident – transformed medicine.
  • The Renaissance – a period of history and cultural shift that marked Europe's transition from the Middle Ages to modernity ?– took place in the 15th and 16th centuries.?

Use the en-dash sparingly in these contexts as overuse can break your reader's concentration and make your writing harder to read. Note also that the en-dash is used with spaces here.?

Quick fun fact: the en-dash got its name because it's the length of an "n" in traditional typesetting.

Exploring the Em-Dash

The em-dash (—) is the longest of the three and, yes, it's the length of an "m" in traditional typesetting.?

Like en-dashes, em-dashes can also function as commas, colons and parenthesis in presenting additional information.?Many people prefer the look of em-dashes here: note?that em-dashes are typically used without spaces around them. There's no right or wrong here, it's purely personal preference.?

However, unlike en-dashes, em-dashes are not commonly used to express ranges or connect nouns.?

The most important thing is, whether you choose to use an en-dash or an em-dash, do so consistently.

Using apostrophes: simple tips to improve your writing skills
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Test your knowledge

Now you know about hyphens and dashes, try these questions.?

Which sentence is correct?:

  1. He baked an egg free cake.
  2. He baked an egg – free cake.?
  3. He baked an egg-free cake.

It's sentence 3. A "free cake" doesn't make sense, so we need to connect "egg-free" with a hyphen.?Now try these sentences and see if you can figure out which one is right:

  1. My dog is nine years old – he's adorable.
  2. My dog is nine-years old - he's adorable.
  3. My dog is nine-years-old – he's adorable.

The correct answer is 1. We don't need any hyphens here as the idea is separate from the subject of the sentence. Note the difference between this and "My five-year-old dog, where we do need a hyphen. Also note that "he's adorable" should be preceeded by an en-dash, not a hyphen – an em-dash would also be acceptable here.

Finally, decide how we should describe a student who is studying modern art:

  1. She is a modern art student.?
  2. She is a modern–art student. ?
  3. She is a modern-art student. ?

Here, the right answer is 3. Note that, without the hyphen, "She is a modern art student" tells us that she is up-to-date and is studying art: the hyphen is essential for clarity.

Hopefully you feel more confident in using hyphens and dashes in your writing – those little marks can have a big impact on your writing. Look out for the next post in this series, where we’ll explore other grammar mysteries and common grammar mistakes, and how to avoid them.

Read our blog posts "Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 1)" and "Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 2)".

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