These little lines cause more than a little confusion. Here’s a quick-fire introduction to how to use them. Hyphens Let’s start with hyphens, as they’re the easiest (at least in theory!). Hyphens are used exclusively to join parts of words,…
Managed proofreading and copy-editing services based in the UK
Blog Archives
Got to dash? Hyphens, en dashes and em dashes
Tagged with: compound words, dash, dashes, em dash, em rule, en dash, en rule, hyphen, hyphenation, hyphens, modifier, modifiers
Posted in Proofreading/copy-editing, Punctuation
Posted in Proofreading/copy-editing, Punctuation
The En Rule
A previous post on this blog covered when to use a hyphen (-) and when to use a en dash (–). Under ‘En Dash’, point 2 stated that an en dash is used to show relationships and connections between two words.…
Tagged with: compound, copy-editing, en dash, en rule, equal, hyphen, partnership, proofreading, relationship, rule
Posted in Punctuation
Posted in Punctuation
Punctuation II : Hyphen v En Dash
Now let’s take a look at the distinction between a hyphen and an en dash. Hyphens (-) and en dashes (–) cannot be used interchangeably. The Hyphen (-) 1. The hyphen is used for linking compound words (e.g. avoid the…