Punctuation & Capitalization

Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen

1 min read

These three marks may look similar, but they each have their own job in writing. Let’s break them down so you know exactly when to use a hyphen, an en dash, or an em dash.

Hyphen (-)

Use a hyphen to connect two or more words, especially when they describe something together.

She bought a well-known brand of headphones.
This is a three-day workshop.

Hyphens are also used in double surnames or to break words at the end of a line.

Her last name is Lopez-Garcia.

En dash (–)

Use an en dash to show a range — especially with dates, times, or numbers.

The class runs from Monday–Friday.
Please read pages 10–25.

You can also use it to connect parts of a compound phrase:

She’s a New York–based artist.

Em dash (—)

Use an em dash to add a break or interruption in a sentence. It’s like a more dramatic comma or parentheses.

He didn’t want to go — not after what happened last time.
We found the answer — finally!

💡 Tip

🔸 Hyphen: joins words (shortest)
🔸 En dash: shows ranges (medium length)
🔸 Em dash: breaks or adds drama (longest)

💡 Not sure which one? Try reading the sentence out loud — if there’s a pause, it might be time for an em dash!

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

This is a high _ quality and low _ cost solution.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

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Punctuation & Capitalization

Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen

1 min read

These three marks may look similar, but they each have their own job in writing. Let’s break them down so you know exactly when to use a hyphen, an en dash, or an em dash.

Hyphen (-)

Use a hyphen to connect two or more words, especially when they describe something together.

She bought a well-known brand of headphones.
This is a three-day workshop.

Hyphens are also used in double surnames or to break words at the end of a line.

Her last name is Lopez-Garcia.

En dash (–)

Use an en dash to show a range — especially with dates, times, or numbers.

The class runs from Monday–Friday.
Please read pages 10–25.

You can also use it to connect parts of a compound phrase:

She’s a New York–based artist.

Em dash (—)

Use an em dash to add a break or interruption in a sentence. It’s like a more dramatic comma or parentheses.

He didn’t want to go — not after what happened last time.
We found the answer — finally!

💡 Tip

🔸 Hyphen: joins words (shortest)
🔸 En dash: shows ranges (medium length)
🔸 Em dash: breaks or adds drama (longest)

💡 Not sure which one? Try reading the sentence out loud — if there’s a pause, it might be time for an em dash!

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

This is a high _ quality and low _ cost solution.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

Conjugation

Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns (e.g. everyone is)

Common confusions

Like vs. Such as

Common confusions

That vs. Which

Common confusions

I.e. vs. E.g.

Common mistakes

Stop / Remember / Forget / Try + gerund vs. infinitive

Some verbs can be followed by either -ing (gerund) or to + verb (infinitive), but the meaning changes. The most important ones at B2/C1 level are stop, remember, forget, and try. 1. Stop Stop + -...

Conjugation

Articles: A, An, The

Common confusions

Listen vs. Hear / Watch vs. See vs. Look at

A bit of theory

Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen

Hyphen (-)

En dash (–)

Em dash (—)

💡 Tip

Test your knowledge 📝

This is a high ___ quality and low ___ cost solution.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Other similar rules

Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns (e.g. everyone is)

Like vs. Such as

That vs. Which

I.e. vs. E.g.

Stop / Remember / Forget / Try + gerund vs. infinitive

Articles: A, An, The

Listen vs. Hear / Watch vs. See vs. Look at

Is 'data' singular or plural?

Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen

Hyphen (-)

En dash (–)

Em dash (—)

💡 Tip

Test your knowledge 📝

This is a high ___ quality and low ___ cost solution.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Other similar rules

Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns (e.g. everyone is)

Like vs. Such as

That vs. Which

I.e. vs. E.g.

Stop / Remember / Forget / Try + gerund vs. infinitive

Articles: A, An, The

Listen vs. Hear / Watch vs. See vs. Look at

Is 'data' singular or plural?

This is a high _ quality and low _ cost solution.

This is a high _ quality and low _ cost solution.