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| Red pencil* |
Writers have often asked me as I'm editing their projects: what is the difference between dashes? Let’s
take a look at three of them and see if we can clear up any confusion.
Three Types of Dashes
There
are three types of dashes fiction writers will use most often:
Hyphen: -
En dash: –
Em dash: —
(Note the length of each, which is how we tell them apart and how we know when to use each of them.)
Uses of Dashes
Let’s
begin with the first one. A hyphen
is used for compound adjectives or other words, names, as well as single letter or first sound
stuttering. Hyphens are also used in phone numbers, social security numbers, and
ISBNs (yay!). One would also use hyphens to divide single letters when a word is
spelled out. Examples:
Broken-down
car
Mrs. Smith-Waters
800-555-1234
My
last name is spelled: r-i-l-e-y
Y-y-you’re
right!
Th-thank
you!
An
en dash is a little longer than the
hyphen and is used for date ranges, as well as Scripture references that
include more than one verse. This dash is also used to show sports’ scores.
Think of this dash as the word “to” in order to determine whether this dash is
needed in your sentence. Examples:
1944–1945
May
3–4, 2018
Jeremiah
29:11–13
The
team won 7–4.
An
em dash is used often for instances
like whole-word stutters, interruptions, and set-apart clauses. Examples:
I–I
don’t understand.
“Wait
a sec—”
If
you don’t mind—and I’m not saying you would—here are the paint choices for this
room.
“I
can’t tell”—she motioned between us—“which one of you is lying.” (Notice the
order here. The em dashes are outside the quotation marks on either side, because they are used to set off the gesture.)
Additional Information
There
are also combined en dashes, and combined em dashes, but that’s getting a
little involved for our needs. Fiction editors use the Chicago Manual of Style to
ensure the proper use of dashes. You can learn more by studying CMS 6.75–94.
Write on, friends!
~~~~~
Will keeping his promise lead to another broken heart—or help them find love again?
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| FLI Friday Harbor by Annette M. Irby |
Captain Hunter Cahill has taken over the family
touring business after his father’s death. Unfortunately, he’s drowning in
grief and debts. He’s hoping the incoming stodgy professor will help
resurrect the failing business, but he’s not prepared when that professor turns
out to be Mikaela, his former fiancée. To make matters more difficult, he’d
promised his father to pursue her if she ever returned to the island single.
The more time they spend together, the easier it is to keep that promise,
though she still plans to leave at the end of the season. How much will it cost
him to spend the summer romancing Mikaela?
~~~~~
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| Annette M. Irby |
Annette M. Irby has been
writing since her teen years when she sat pounding out stories on a vintage
typewriter just for fun. Since then, she’s joined Christian writing groups and
launched blogs so she could share the joy of writing. She likes to say she’s
addicted to color as flowers and seascapes inspire her. In her off hours, she
enjoys gardening, photography, and music. She lives with her husband and family
in the Pacific Northwest.
Links to
connect with Annette:
Twitter: @AnnetteMIrby
Photo credit: Pixabay
Author photo credit: Sarah Irby of Irby Photography
