Dash

The dash is a punctuation mark that is usually written in the middle of a line of text.^[1] A hyphen is sometimes called a dash, but it is used differently.

Dashes are used to add more drama to writing. The two main forms of dashes are:

• The en dash (–) is the shorter of the two. It is longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash.^[2] In normal text it is about the width of the letter "n".^[3] An en dash is used to connect two numbers that make up a range (for example pages 3–6).^[3] It is also used to show a range of dates (2010–2011) or of time (11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.).^[2]
• The em dash (—) is so-named because it is about the length of an uppercase M.^[3] They are best used to show emphasis or for an interruption in thought.^[3] They can also be used in place of a comma, parentheses, or a colon.^[4] But they are less formal than the punctuation marks they replace.^[4]

1. ↑ "What Is A Dash?". Grammarly Inc. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "En dash". The Punctuation Guide. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Suzanne Gilad. "Using Em Dashes and En Dashes Properly". Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Em dash". The Punctuation Guide. Retrieved January 12, 2017.