# >> Continuing Education >> Writing Guides

How to Use Dashes & Hyphens

Hyphens and dashes can be confusing to use properly. Many word processing applications have special sets of character symbol sets that include hyphens, en-dashes and em-dashes. These symbols look similar and vary in function: Hyphens are short, horizontal lines; en-dashes are slightly longer than a hyphen and were traditionally the width of a letter (such as "n"); and em-dashes are longer than an en-dash and were traditionally the width of the letter "m." All three symbols serve to join parts of a sentence: Hyphens join words and adjectives, en-dashes connect ranges, and em-dashes connect related thoughts.

Instructions

- 1
  Use a hyphen to join words. For example, "He will re-store the blue-gray afghan in the closet."
  Use a hyphen to split syllables in compound words which may be at the end of a line. For example, "...The lady remem-bered her purse..." (the hyphen indicates the line break).
  Use a hyphen to format a date or a telephone number. For example, "3-21-09" or "888-555-1234."
- 2
  Use an em-dash (which is also designated with two dashes) to call out a parenthetical phrase or thought in a sentence. For example, "Her favorite color is blue--the deep blue of the ocean."
- 3
  Use an en-dash to connect a range. For example, "Breakfast 8-9 am" or "Los Angeles-Oahu flight."

What Is Third Person Narrative?

How to Write an Essay in the Third Person

Writing Guides