![]() ![]() The most recent update, with contributions from Jessica Lau, was in January 2023. This article was originally published in October 2020. Now go forth and fill your work with far too many of them. For now, though, I hope these tips helped you type em (and en) dashes. I sincerely hope that, someday in the near future, Microsoft will make a change to its operating system that makes this article completely useless. For example: The office is open Monday–Friday.Ĭonsidering there are significant differences between an em and en dash, it really shouldn't be this hard to type them using only a keyboard. For example: A notebook, pen, and laptop-these were all in my welcome kit! The em dash (-) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. My editor made me add this, so really quickly, here's the difference between an em and en dash: If most of your writing happens in Google Docs, good news: Google Docs has an autoreplace feature, which you could use instead of a system-wide tool. Install the app, then make a phrase that creates your desired dash. PhraseExpress, which is free for personal use, works quite well for this. You can also set up a rule to quickly make dashes. It's a great time saver, particularly if there are things you wind up sharing with coworkers, customers, or potential dates multiple times a day. These apps automatically replace custom keywords with whatever you want. But text expansion apps are a better tool for the job. You could leave your notepad open with an em dash to copy and paste as needed-that's what my editor used to do when she had a PC. Windows doesn't offer a quick way to make these dashes, so you'll have to add your own. Create the long dash symbol using autoreplace software For now, though, let's check out some potential alternatives. Why doesn't Microsoft make this a system-wide setting in Windows? I don't know, and you should ask them, on Twitter, daily. Again, Microsoft Office apps should figure out what you want and insert the correct dash. And if you want an en dash, surround a single dash with spaces between two words, like - this. Put two dashes between two words, like-this, and the app will understand you mean to insert an em dash. If you're working in Microsoft Office apps like Word or Outlook, there's another option. While this only gives me a slight headache, I'm somehow even more annoyed than before. If you are unsure about the use of hyphens, consider using a professional proofreading service.Emoji keyboard on Windows.Don’t get hyphens confused with their longer relative, the dash. ![]() Most styles (including APA) say that hyphens should only be used when they are truly needed. And don’t be afraid to look things up if you are unsure! ![]() Follow standard usage rules as much as you can, paying particular attention to what most often appears in your secondary literature.(The alternative: subchapters, subsections, and subquestions.) For instance, if you refer to sub-chapters, you should also refer to sub-sections and sub-questions. Be consistent in how you hyphenate related items.In addition to the above, keep the following tips in mind: Hyphens are tricky, even for experienced writers. The en-dash can be created by pushing down the ALT key and typing 0150, while the 3-em dash is created by typing six hyphens. The en-dash is used between dates and times, and the 3-em dash is used to signal omitted information in certain (often legal) situations. In addition, sometimes a phrase means something completely different when a hyphen is added.Įx: The Quaker religion has a long standingĪ tradition that has existed a long time.Įx: Lighting candles is a long-standing tradition.Įx: The library recovered the book from its patron.Įx: The librarian re-covered the damaged book. Em-dashes are not generally used in formal documents. Sometimes the absence of a hyphen makes it unclear what you are trying to say. The anti-UN faction was very vocal during the mid-March 1970 discussions. One firm guideline is to always hyphenate prefixes that come before a capital letter, numeral, or date. If in doubt, use a dictionary.Īlso bear in mind that prefixes are more frequently hyphenated in British English (e.g., sub-section) than in American English (e.g., subsection). Practices also vary over time as a term becomes more common, the hyphen usually disappears (such as e-mail, which has gradually turned into email). Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.įew fixed rules exist about whether hyphens should be used to connect prefixes (such as un, pre, and multi). ![]()
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